Weed Control
Common weeds
Borreria sp. (button weed), Chromolaena odorata (siam weed), Lantana aculeate (lantana), Mimosa pudica (touch-me-not), Clerodendron sp., Mikania micrantha (mile-a-minute), Sida sp., Imperata cylindrica, Pennisetum sp. (Napier grass), Axonopus sp. (carpet grass), Paspalum sp., Digitaria sp. (tropical crab grass), Cynodon dactylon (bermuda grass) etc.
Manual weeding
This involves slashing, scraping, uprooting etc. As manual clean weeding will expose soils to erosion, mulching should be done immediately after weeding.
Chemical control
Weeds can be controlled with the use of herbicides or weedicides. There are two main types of herbicides, the pre-emergent and post-emergent herbicides.
Pre-emergent herbicide
- Diuron (Karmex, Klass): 2.5 kg in 700 litres
Post-emergent herbicides
- 2,4,D (Fernoxone): 2.25 litres or 1.25 kg in 500-600 litres (4 rounds at an interval of 6-8 weeks )
- Glyphosate (Glycel, Weed off or Round up): 2 litres in 400 litres (2-3 rounds at 3 months interval and spot application of 0.5 to 2.5 litres Gramoxone per ha)
Maintenance of a luxuriant ground cover in the early phase of plantation can minimize the weed infestation to a great extent. For spraying herbicides, knapsack sprayers with flood jet nozzle (No.WFN 40) or controlled droplet applicators (CDA) are used.
