Which technique is commonly used to control weeds in crops?

Herbicide application is commonly used to control weeds in crops because it specifically targets and eliminates unwanted plants while allowing the crop to grow. This technique involves the use of chemical substances designed to inhibit the growth of certain weeds without harming the cultivated plants. Herbicides can be selective, meaning they kill specific weeds without affecting the crop species, or non-selective, which kill all plant life they contact.

This method is favored for its efficiency, as it can quickly manage weed populations and reduce competition for resources such as sunlight, water, and nutrients. It is particularly useful in large-scale agricultural operations where manual weeding or other methods would be impractical due to labor costs and the size of the fields.

In contrast, crop rotation, mechanical tillage, and cover cropping also contribute to weed management but in different ways. Crop rotation disrupts the life cycles of weeds by changing the planting schedule and types of crops grown, which can minimize weed populations over time. Mechanical tillage involves physically disturbing the soil to uproot weeds, which may not always be feasible or effective depending on the weed seeds’ viability and soil condition. Cover cropping serves to suppress weed growth by providing ground cover and competing for resources, but it does not directly target weeds like herbicides do.