A study commissioned by the Federation of Seed Industry of India (FSII) has found that weeds are causing a ₹92,000 crore ($11 billion) loss in crop productivity annually.
Federation of Seed Industry of India (FSII)
- FSII is a 40-member association of R&D based plant science industry, engaged in the production of high-performance quality seeds for food, feed and fibre in the country.
- Member companies are engaged in research-based breeding applications and seed technologies, enabling farmers to adopt technology driven farming solutions to improve agricultural productivity in a sustainable manner, minimising pre and post-harvest losses.
- It is affiliated to International associations including International Seed Federation (ISF) and The Asia and Pacific Seed Association (APSA).
- Vision: To Increase focus and investment in seed research undertaken by the member companies and promote their innovative products for improving farm productivity.
- Mission: Aims to contribute towards realising the vision of doubling the farmers’ Income
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Key Findings of the Research
- Losses in Crop Productivity: Weeds are responsible for approximately 25-26% yield loss in kharif crops and 18-25% in rabi crops across India, causing significant financial damage to the agricultural sector.
- Crops and Regions Covered: The study focused on seven key crops, including rice, wheat, maize, cotton, sugarcane, soybean, and mustard, across 30 districts in 11 states. The researchers gathered insights from 3,200 farmers, 300 dealers, and officials from Krishi Vigyan Kendras and the Agriculture Department.Lack of innovation in weed control: It highlights the need for new, technology-driven weed control strategies to combat this issue effectively.
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What are weeds?
- Weeds are unwanted and undesired plants that negatively impact human welfare by interfering with the use of land and water resources.
- In agricultural lands, forests, aquatic systems, etc., weeds compete with desirable and beneficial plants.
- These weeds consume the nutrients given to the crops, reducing the nutrients available to the crops and impeding their growth.
- Examples of weeds: Amaranth, Bermuda grass, Bindweed, Broadleaf plantain, etc.
Benefits of Weeds
- As Food And Medicine :Leaves or roots of a number of weeds, including the dandelion and lamb’s quarter, can be utilised as food or herbal medicine.
- Many weeds have medicinal properties and are used in medicine such as Phyllanthus niruri (jaundice), Eclipta alba (Scorpion sting), Cynodon dactylon (Asthma).
- Weeds as indicators:Weeds can be used to identify good and bad soils.
- Colonum grows in rich soils, whereas Cymbopogon grows in poor light soils and Sedges grow in poorly drained soils.
- Weeds can indicate conditions like water levels, soil compaction, and pH;
- Raw Materials: Weeds can be used to make paper mache, bio-gas, and consumable proteins; Fragrant oils, etc.
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Classification of Weeds
- Annual Weeds: Weeds that live only for a season or a year and complete their life cycle in that season or year are called annual weeds.
- Biennials: It completes the vegetative growth in the first season, flower and set seeds in the succeeding season and then dies.
- Eg. Alternanthera echinata
- Perennials: Perennials live for more than two years and may live almost indefinitely. They adapted to withstand adverse conditions.
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Impact of weeds
- Reduces Crop Production: Weeds compete with the main crop for space, light, moisture, and soil nutrients, resulting in yield loss.
- Affects Crop Quality :They contaminate the product, lowering crop quality.’
- Act as Hosts for Diseases: They may attract many unwanted pathogens affecting the crop plants.
Recommendations for Weed Management
The report highlights various weed management practices that could reduce costs by 40-60% compared to traditional methods.
Some of the techniques of weed Management are:
- Herbicide Use: Employing herbicides for more effective and efficient weed control.
- Mechanisation: Utilising machinery for weed removal to reduce reliance on manual labour.
- Crop Rotation: Rotating crops to break weed cycles.
- Cover Cropping: Using cover crops to suppress weed growth.
- Biological Control: Introducing natural weed control mechanisms using biological agents.
- Herbicide tolerant variety: DSR and ZT wheat are innovative herbicide-tolerant varieties that offer significant benefits to farmers.
- These varieties replace traditional water-intensive practices like puddling and transplanting with chemical herbicides, reducing water consumption and labour costs.
Report on Weed Management Challenges
- The report, titled “Weed Management – Emerging Challenges & Management Strategies”, was released by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in collaboration with FSII
- It highlights that weeds are a major cause of crop losses, competing with crops for resources from the preparatory tillage stage through to the post-harvest stage.
- Cost of Weed Control: The average cost of weed control per acre varies between ₹3,700 and ₹7,900, depending on the crop and region.
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Expert Opinions on Weed Control
- S.K. Chaudhari, Deputy Director General of ICAR’s Natural Resource Management Division, emphasised the importance of public-private collaboration to tackle the growing weed problem.
- He noted that mechanisation, herbicide-tolerant traits, and precision agriculture are essential to overcoming challenges posed by labour shortages and resource constraints.
- P.K. Singh, Commissioner of the Ministry of Agriculture, called for a holistic, integrated approach to weed management, especially in the context of natural and organic farming.
- He emphasised the need for a robust weed management framework that incorporates traditional, mechanical, chemical, and innovative solutions to improve agricultural productivity.
October 5, 2024
