Chapter 10: Cultural Practices and Biological Control Methods
10.4 Summary
In this chapter we explored different cultural and biological approaches that can be considered when designing or adapting a weed management plan. Biological control approaches are not often used, but when they are, they are usually in an area where all other methods are not feasible. On the other hand, there are many cultural methods which can be used to help a crop be more competitive with weeds and slow down a weed population’s ability to adjust to any one particular weed control method.
Key Takeaways
Key takeaways for this chapter include:
- Cultural practices include good agronomic strategies that give your field crop the best opportunity for strong growth and health, thereby having an advantage over the weed competition.
- Examples: row spacing, planting date, optimizing soil conditions, etc.
- Biological controls are not often utilized, but include predatory insects, pathogens, or animals to combat weeds. Biological controls require significant amounts of research to ensure they will not do more harm than good.