Reasons to Get Rid of the Weeds from your Garden

 Reasons to Get Rid of the Weeds from your Garden

 

Weeds are the unwanted plants that are growing along with crop plants. In other words, weeds are those plants that are growing out of place and out of time. Weeds are harmful to our crop plants in many ways.

Plants need nutrients, water, light, and carbon dioxide for growth and development. When weeds are growing along with the crop plants they compete with each other for resources.

a. Nutrients

Nutrient concentration in weeds far exceeds the associated crop. Weeds absorb more nutrients from the soil than the crop. Nutrient analysis of weed and crop plants shows that the concentration of nutrients is far more in weed than the associated crop. Some weeds not only depletes the nutrients by absorption but also encourages the loss of nutrients in many ways. For example, Nutsedge not only absorbs Nitrogen but also induces nitrification.

b.Light

Weeds generally grow faster and shade the crop plants, if not checked. They block the photosynthetically active radiation(PAR)from reaching the crop plants resulting in the reduction of photosynthesis. Thus, it reduces the life of shaded plants or plant parts

c.Water

Weeds consume water luxuriantly and deplete the soil water quickly making the crop plants parch for water. The competition is tougher in unirrigated and dry areas.

d.Carbon dioxide

Competition for carbon dioxide occurs when the weed infestation is high. Most of the weeds are C4 plants therefore weeds can deplete carbon dioxide to a very low level compared to crops

e.Allelopathic effect

Some weeds release some chemicals into the soil which inhibit the germination and growth of other plants. For example, the extraction from Abutilon Theophrastus decreases the water status of soybean plants by its effect on the absorption of water as it causes stomatal closure and breakdown of chlorophyll in soybean.