A successful weed management program is based on four fundamental elements: Prevention, Detection, Control and Restoration. Combining several of the below strategies to manage a weed is called integrated weed management; an approach that almost always produces better results than relying on any one tactic alone.
Prevention:
Weed prevention is accomplished by taking steps to keep weeds from spreading into new areas. Some common prevention tactics include:
- using weed free hay, straw, seed, or mulch
- cleaning contaminated vehicles and equipment
- educating employees, neighbors about weeds
- maintaining a healthy, competitive stand of desirable plants that limits the ability of weeds to establish and thrive.
Detection:
Early detection/ rapid response program can help to locate and eliminate these new invaders.
Control:
Weed control can be accomplished using a number of different tactics:
- Cultural control is achieved by manipulating factors that impact weed growth, such as crop rotation, planting date, row spacing, fertilization or irrigation
- Mechanical control is based on causing physical harm to weeds through tillage, mowing, mulching, burning, flooding or hand weeding
- Biological control is when other organisms (livestock, insects or diseases) are used suppress weeds; and
- Chemical control impacts weed growth through herbicide application.
Restoration:
Establishing a healthy, competitive stand of desirable plants (crops, grasses, forbs, shrubs, etc.)