Welcome to the wonderful world of weeds – those pesky plants affecting crop production and creating annoyance in turfgrass, ornamentals, pastures, ponds and lakes. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a weed as an “Herbaceous plant not valued for use or beauty, growing wild and rank, and regarded as cumbering the ground or hindering the growth of superior vegetation.” A weed is basically a plant growing where it is not wanted, or maybe a weed is a plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered or just an unloved flower. Weeds such as poison ivy and ragweed can affect humans through allergic reactions, and some weeds are poisonous to livestock.
This course emphasizes the relationship between weeds and the environment and the management of weeds using integrated weed management techniques. The science of weed control has progressed more in the last 50 years that in the previous 100 centuries. Since much of this progress can be attributed to the development of herbicides, this course also concentrates on the interactions that occur among herbicides, plants and the soil environment. The course is supported by an extensive set of notes with lectures and labs presented in an informal teaching format conducive to interchange and discussion.
Adobe Acrobat Reader required to view most files