Page 60 - Ilmu Tanah Book

The Chemistry and Fertility of Soils under Tropical Weeds 47

Weed control are in general classified into six different methods, i.e.
preventive control, culture technique control, physical-mechanical control,
biological control, chemical control, and integrated control. Each method
possesses its own benefits and drawbacks.

Preventive Weed Control

The principle of preventive weed control is to limit weed investation and to
depress their growth and spreading so that other methods of weed control is not
necessary or at least minimized (Sriyani, 2010). Some steps are included in the
preventive weed control, among which are the use of weed-free seeds or seedlings,
the use of weed-free agricultural tools and other production facilities, good
sanitation in areas for agriculture, and the implementation of laws for the
transportation of materials and quarantine of plants and animals.

Weed Control with Culture Technique

In a culture technique, weed control is conducted by availing an optimum
growing environment for the crop plants, which is not suitable for weeds so that
the growth of weeds is inhibited (Sriyani, 2010). This theory is closedly related to
good agricultural practices like the use of good seeds or seedlings, the use of good
and competitive plant variety, the management of planting method, distance, and
time to ensure optimum growth of crops, the practice of planting rotation to inhibit
particular weed dominance, the use of mulch and soil conditioners or companion
crops and multiple cropping, and adequate plant maintainance like proper
fertilizarion and irrigation. The use of herbicide-resistant crop plants may also
important at any time herbicides are applied without endangering the crop plants.
This method, along with the preventive method, is in general considered the
first barrier to control weeds in agricultural system. These methods are
economically efficient because they include the process of land preparation. The
drawbacks of these methods are the necessity to make good planning and
coordination, the necessity to have basic knowledge on ecology and characteristics
of the existing weeds, and the results are not instantly observed. However, if
properly conducted, these methods may lower the problems of weeds. The
attenuation of weed problem may then lower the plant mainitenance cost because

Abdul Kadir Salam and Nanik Sriyani – 2019