Weeds: check out the most common in agriculture

Anyone who deals with agriculture on a daily basis knows that one of the most common and complicated problems in crops is the appearance of weeds.

They are considered a pest and can affect an entire production if they are not quickly controlled or even eliminated.

In this article, we will show the most common weeds that attack crops, as well as ways to control them for the benefit of agriculture. Good reading!

What are weeds?

Weeds are all plants that directly cause negative effects on crops. They can compete with the original culture, reducing the yield, in addition to harming the harvest, with low quality of the products.

Another point is that these plants serve as hosts for diseases and pests. Therefore, there are many harms they offer to agriculture.

What are the most common weeds?

Anyone who thinks that there is just one or another type of weed that can harm agriculture is wrong. That’s why it’s so important to know a little more about them and fight them for the benefit of crops.

In order to help you with this task, which can often be weekly or monthly, depending on the climatic conditions in your region and the soil, we list the six weeds that appear more frequently in crops. Check out:

It was

Buva is found in the Southeast, Midwest and South, regions that most produce wheat, soybeans and corn, crops where it is possible to find them more easily.

Buva weed species
Buva is one of the most easily found weeds in different regions of the country.

This plant seems to pose no danger to agriculture, due to its “pretty” appearance, however, it has many small seeds that spread easily, making it difficult to identify and care for.

Azevém

This type of weed is very common in pastures, as food for livestock. It is considered one of the main crops in Brazil, more precisely in wheat and barley crops found in the southern region of the country.

One of the major problems is that this type of weed is resistant to the systemic herbicide glyphosate, also known in Brazil as “mata-mato” and, therefore, it is necessary to seek other ways to combat them in agriculture, such as cover crops.

Palm trees

This species considered exotic was registered in 2015, when the State of Mato Grosso was created. It has great potential to destroy crops by up to 90%. It’s a lot of loss!

Caruru-palmeri attack crops
Caruru-palmeri is one of the fast growing and extremely aggressive weeds, being able to produce from 100 thousand to 1 million seeds.

The caruru-palmeri probably originated in the United States and arrived here through imported machinery.

To give you an idea of ​​the problems caused by this weed, in the USA and Argentina its presence is a criterion for the devaluation of land today. This is because it raises management costs and has great potential to reduce the productivity of the main crops.

bitter grass

This is another type of weed that is easily dispersed by crops, because they are distributed with the help of the wind.

Another important factor is its adaptation in most regions of Brazil and, thus, makes it one of the most common to find. Bittergrass has the power to halve the production of any crop.

Bittergrass in the midst of crops damaged by weeds
Bittergrass is another type of weed that is easily found in crops (photo: Senar).

Another point that must be taken into account when combating it is the resistance to glyphosate and ACCase herbicides.

If sourgrass is still in its youngest stage, then it will be easier to control with the use of herbicides. Now, if you are an adult, prepare yourself: the treatment is much more difficult.

white grass

similar to the azevém, white grass is resistant to herbicides, more precisely in 2014, when this was reported in Brazil.

This species is easily found throughout the year in the Midwest and North regions. In some places in the south of the country it is also possible to identify it.

chicken foot grass

The chicken-foot grass species is more recent when it comes to glyphosate resistance. One should take the same care taken in relation to ryegrass in order to avoid its proliferation.

Chicken foot grass on the ground
Like other types of weeds, the chicken-foot grass has a large number of seeds and is easily dispersed by the action of the wind.

This weed is on the list of the five most problematic in the world. It is found in all regions of Brazil that grow soybeans. This is due to the fact that it easily adapts to different soils and climates.

Its life cycle can last from 120 to 180 days, depending on the region, with reproduction via seeds.

In fact, its wide dispersion is associated with the ability to produce a large amount of seeds (more than 120 seeds per plant), which are easily disseminated by the wind throughout the year.

milkman

This species is also known as well done, is one of the weeds that most affect crop yields.

The dairy is difficult to control because its seeds emerge up to 12 cm deep, which allows its germination for many years.

Brazil, as a tropical country, is heavily influenced by weeds in coffee plantations. The types of weeds occur in the coffee tree according to the seasons of the year, being more rainy or hot.

Check out video about the types of weeds and the seasonality that occur in the coffee tree, explained by Leandro Pinv Dalvi, professor of the Agronomy course at the Federal University of Espírito Santo (Ufes):

Source: Incaper.

Precautions to be taken to avoid weeds

As we mentioned at the beginning of the text, weeds are threats to agriculture. However, it is possible to avoid them or eliminate them from crops, if they are already installed.

“Currently, weeds are the biggest problem in Brazilian crops. The competition with the main crop and the hosting of pests and diseases cause great losses to the producer. Controlling weeds correctly, following good agronomic practices, helps to reduce production costs”, as stated by Francisco Humberto Henrique, Doctor in Tropical and Subtropical Agriculture by the Agronomic Institute of Campinas (IAC) and researcher at CiaCamp – from Science to the Field.

Check out some below necessary care to prevent or combat weeds:

Carry out a preliminary assessment

In this case, we advise the assistance of a technician because only then is it possible to identify the correct treatment. After all, harboring the dairy species on your farm and not knowing it is there can be a big problem.

This assessment helps to better understand your crop and how to avoid the most diverse species of weeds.

Monitor crops frequently to combat weeds

Always stay tuned in your farming and you can even count on the help of technology.

Use of drones to monitor weeds
The use of drones can help the work of farmers and technicians in monitoring weeds.

Drones can help with monitoring, as well as evaluating the effects of herbicides used. This is because there are weeds resistant to some types, but this can also be circumvented.

Bet on effective actions

There are some effective actions that actually prevent the proliferation of weeds and you should certainly adopt some measures together.

This is a way to benefit the entire crop and not just the area affected by these invasive species. It is worth remembering that there are some resistant to glyphosate and, therefore, these measures are important to avoid them:

  • Crop rotation and herbicides;
  • Use of weed-free seeds;
  • Containment of initial proliferation of invasive plants;
  • Regular cleaning of machinery used in the fields.

In fact, there are many other weeds that inhabit crops in our country and that also deserve attention. Therefore, there is little care to keep crops healthy and avoid damage to your pocket.

Use of herbicides to combat weeds
The use of herbicides is not always an efficient method since there are weeds resistant to certain products.

Surely, following all the steps that we have mentioned and your farming will be safe from most of the problems that are usually faced by rural producers.

So we hope you enjoyed learning more about the most common weeds and how to avoid them. Our reading tip is the article that presents five tips for weed management.

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Anna Evans

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