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Weed And Insect Control: Lawn And Garden

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Published: November 29, 2006

Nothing taints the beauty of a lawn or garden like a stray dandelion or an infestation of caterpillars in the flowerbed.

The main problem with weed and insect infestations lays in the fact that there is never only one rogue culprit, rather an array of friends joining in to spoil an otherwise beautiful landscape. Luckily, gardeners and farmers possess a variety of options in terms of weed and insect control.

Starting with weed control, a whole industry has developed to tackle the problem of unwanted vegetation. Generally speaking, weed control describes the practice of stopping weeds from reaching a mature stage of growth when they could become harmful to domesticated plants. Basically, there are two main categories of weed control: organic and chemical.

Organic weed control avoids the use of chemicals. One method involves a stale seed bed technique, in which one works the soil and then leaves it alone for several days. Once the weeds have begun to sprout, gardeners manually remove the weeds before they fully grow. The cultivator then plants the desired vegetation.

Using a garden hoe to remove weed leaves and stems as soon as they appear can eventually weaken and kill the plants, although this will require persistence in some instances. However, it remains an effective method used by farmers for ages.

Chemical weed control, on the other hand, is used by farmers in cases when it is not ideal to overwork the soil. Hoeing soil can damage its structure, threatening plant root’s stability. For this reason, a variety of herbicides exist to combat pesky weeds. For example, pre-emergent herbicides work through direct contact with the soil in order to prevent the weed seeds from germinating.

Soil-borne herbicides describe the chemicals farmers apply to soil; the plant absorbs them through its roots. Conversely, contact herbicides function through direct contact with plants.

If insects rather than weeds are the grower's culprits, one need not worry; a variety of insect repellants also exist. For example, methods like heavy use of the plough, crop rotation and pruning can all help moderate insect populations.

Mechanical and physical methods of insect control describe the physical measures people can perform to combat insect problems. This includes mosquito nets and fly swatters. As with weed control, a variety of biological methods are available for insect problems. For example, introducing a natural predator can help reduce an insect population.

Science has come a long way in improving chemical methods as well. For example, chemical attractants can lure insects toward traps. Antifeedants describe chemicals capable of preventing an insect from feeding, leading to its eventual starvation.

These days, weeds and insects pest control should not be seen as impossible. With patience, dedication and the appropriate methods, one can reduce, if not eliminate, these agricultural inconveniences.



Sources:
Entomology—Pests and Insect Control—Types of Insect Control. 2004. University of Sydney. 25 Nov 2006 .
Weed control. Wikipedia. 2006. Wikipedia Foundation, Inc. 25 Nov 2006 .
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