Weeds are one of the dominant elements of the pest complex of major crops in Pakistan. Yield losses due to weeds are the result of weed competition for light, water, nutrients and allelopathic effects. In Pakistan losses caused by weeds, on the average in the different crops have been assessed over the year by the Weed Management Programme. In terms of economic losses this amounts to millions of rupees annually. Estimated losses observed in field trials range from 10-75 percent in different crops.

The research results clearly indicate that for agricultural uplift effective weed management is a major component. Weed management practices mostly depend on manual and simple mechanical measures. In response to high labor costs and the increasing availability of herbicides in the market, the use of herbicides by progressive farmers has increased. [More]

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