Chapter 1: What is a Weed? Why Do We Care?
1.2 General Characteristics of Weeds
When thinking about weeds in a field crop system, keep in mind that you need to be aware of weeds which are not only present in the field, but also in surrounding areas. Later in this chapter we will talk about why this is important. First, let’s start off by listing some general characteristics of a weed. Take a minute to work through this quick activity which will launch us into that discussion.
Practice Activity
Is the plant a weed or a crop?
Pictured below are a variety of plants. Take a moment to think about if each plant pictured is a weed or a crop. Click on the purple circles in the images below to learn more.
As you discovered in the activity, initially it seemed simple to define which plants are weeds. Upon further investigation, you quickly realize defining which plants are weeds is a little complicated and dependent upon the situation.
A good working definition then of what is considered a weed is if a plant has any one of the following characteristics:
- A plant whose virtues are yet to be discovered
- A plant out of place
- An unwanted plant
- A plant that consistently causes economic loss to crop and/or livestock producers