Weed Control

Home study course weed control

Increase productivity and reduce environmental impact by correct management of weeds.

This course provides valuable learning for land managers, farmers, gardeners, orchardists, market gardeners, landscapers, spray contractors, nurserymen or anyone else concerned with the control of weeds.

Lesson Structure

There are 7 lessons in this course:

1. Weed Identification
   • review of the system of plant identification
   • general characteristics of the weeds
2. Weed Control Methods
   • practical research on management of weeds
   • understanding terminology and the use of mulches
3. Chemical Weed Control
   • review of commercial and domestic herbicides
   • determining what differentiates them, their availability and use.
4. Weed Control In Specific Situations
   • understanding weed control strategies for particular situations
   • accessing first hand information about weed control from industry leaders
   • determining a weed control program for five different sites.
5. Safe Chemical Application
   • reviewing what types of chemicals and application methods are used in the industry
   • the required safety procedures for the handling and administrating chemical herbicides.
6. Non-Chemical Weed Control
   • determining any detrimental effects chemical herbicides have on the environment
   • reviewing non-chemical applications and their effectiveness.
7. Developing A Major Weed Control Program
   • devise a weed management plan for a designated area.

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.

Aims

• Distinguish between different types of weeds, and identify common weed species, growing in your locality.
• Explain the characteristics of different weed control methods.
• Explain the use of chemical herbicides to control weeds.
• Specify appropriate weed control methods, for different types of situations.
• Determine appropriate techniques for the safe application of chemical herbicide in a specific situation.
• Explain different non-chemical weed control methods.
• Devise appropriate methods for control of weeds, for specific problems, in both the horticultural and agricultural industries
• Determine a detailed weed control program for a significant weed problem.

What You Will Do

• Observe and consider over 100 different varieties of weeds and prepare plant review sheets for different weed plants.
• Make up a list of information resources.
• Plant, grow and observe different varieties of weeds.
• Make drawings of young seedlings of at least fifteen different weeds.
• Speak/interview people who have to deal with weed control in their daily life.
• Visit a nursery, garden shop or hardware store that sells herbicides to the public.
• Visit at least one supplier of herbicides for industrial and agricultural use.
• Contact larger chemical companies for leaflets on different herbicides.
• Investigate at least two workplaces where weed control programs are regularly carried out.
• Visit and inspect different sites where weeds are a problem.
• Photograph different places that have been treated with weedicides.
• Contact your local Department of Agriculture or Lands Department for researching purposes.
• Visit several farmers who raise different types of livestock.
• Develop a 12 month guideline for an integrated weed control program for a particular site.

Extract from the course:

"A weed is any plant that is growing where you don't want it. A weed will compete with your desired plants for light, space, water and nutrients. A plant could also be a weed because of a particular characteristic; it could be poisonous to stock or humans, if it acts as a host plant to pests and diseases (of both other plants and/or animals), if it has damaging roots, or if it causes allergies.

Any plant has the potential to be a weed.

There are many different ways of controlling weeds, and literally thousands of different weed species which might need controlling. It is always important to use the appropriate treatment for the weed(s) in question. Young weeds are far easier to control than older ones. Some chemicals, for instance will effectively kill certain weeds when they are in the early stages of growth, but will not control other types of weeds. You may need to be able to distinguish between types of weeds to determine whether the chemical will or won't work.

STEPS IN CONTROLLING WEEDS

a/ Know what weed or weeds you are dealing with.

b/ Know how those varieties grow, and what conditions they do and don't tolerate.

c/ Then create conditions which they don't like....

You need to consider whether you want to kill or just control the weeds.