Weed Control

Weeds can significantly decrease productivity and productivity on farms.

Their efficient control is essential to maintaining any viable agricultural enterprise, and this course lays the foundation to allow you to do just that.

Lesson Structure

There are 8 lessons in this course:

1. Weed Identification: review of the system of plant identification, general characteristics of the weeds, further information, contacts, etc.
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 and 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 and 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. Dealing With Specific Weed Control Problems: looking at current industry practices for weed control and the effects on the environment, in relation to specific weed control problems.
8. Developing A Major Weed Control Program: a practical lesson where the student can fully demonstrate their understanding of weed control by devising 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.
• Understand 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