Weeds are the most serious threat to different crops which may cause loss in per acre yield up to 45 per cent as compared to diseases, pests or other factors. According to the research carried out by the Ayub Agricultural Research Institute (Faisalabad), pests can cause 30 per cent damage to the crops, different diseases may bring down the production per acre by 20 per cent but weeds alone can cause drop in per acre yield to by 45 percent.
The research said that weeds can cause 18 to 30 percent loss of production in wheat, 3 to 41 percent in cotton, 17 to 39 percent in paddy, 10 to 35 per cent in sugarcane, 24 to 47 percent in maize, 25 to 55 percent in lentils, 21 to 45 percent in oilseeds and may bring down the production of vegetables from 39 percent to 89 percent.
A spokesman of the provincial agriculture department said that weeds were becoming a very serious threat to agricultural resources which include water, food, light and most important thing taking over the land which could be used for the main crop. Water is most important thing for better production of crops but these weeds use the water as they suck water at a faster pace and from more depth as compared to the crops. "Farmers should take immediate steps for eradication of weeds from their fields for ensuring more production," the spokesman added.
The spokesman further advised the growers to take immediate steps for saving their cotton crop from negative impact of monsoon rains. He advised the growers to avoid standing of rain water in the field and immediately drain it in any empty field nearby. He said that cotton plants start dying after standing for 48 hours. He also advised the growers to dig deep ditches around their fields so rain water automatically travels to these ditches. Growers were asked to use a pump for draining their cotton field if it did not travel automatically. They have also been asked to contact their nearby agricultural department's office for further guidance.
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