Weed management in vegetable and flower crop-based systems

Vegetable and floricultural crops are major components of the horticultural industry in India. Weed management is an important aspect in the successful production of these crops. Weeds reduce crop yields, lower their quality and increase costs of production. They host pests and diseases thereby raising the need to control them as well. Weed management may involve non-chemical and or chemical methods. The decision of method to be used depends on the environmental conditions, available labour, weed population, the crop, desired management practices and the cost of controlling weeds. The major aim is to manage the weed population to a level below that will cause a reduction in economic return for the farmer. An integration of different control methods, therefore, needs to be addressed in future research. Furthermore, specific researches on weed management in horticultural crops in India need to be addressed. This article attempts to highlight important weed flora of vegetables and flower crops in India and some of the management strategies that could be used to manage these weeds.