Hostname: page-component-7479d7b7d-c9gpj Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-11T01:20:07.724Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Weed Science—Revolution in Agricultural Technology

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 June 2017

W. C. Shaw*
Affiliation:
Weed Society of America (WSA), 1962–1964 Crops Research Division, Agricultural Research Service, U. S. Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, Maryland
Get access

Abstract

Weed Science—a new scientific discipline, has evolved and caused a revolution in agricultural technology. Weeds and their control are basically ecological and economic problems. The losses caused by weeds and the cost of their control, now estimated to exceed $4½ billion annually, are motivating forces in the revolution.

The technological revolution in Weed Science is characterized by the rapid and extensive acceptance and use of chemical weed control methods, expanded scope and diversity of weed research, advances in Weed Science technology, needs and challenges for advances in future technology, impact of chemical weed control on farm management practices, and its effect on the objectives and direction of agricultural research and educational programs.

Chemical methods of weed control greatly reduce energy requirements on farms. Herbicides reduce the manpower, machine hours, and machine horsepower requirements in crop production. Thus, herbicides provide a new dimension for improving farming efficiency and lowering production costs.

In 1962, chemical methods of weed control were used on more than 70 million acres of agricultural land at a cost of more than $272 million, as compared to approximately 53 million acres treated in 1959 at a cost of $128 million, a 33 percent increase in the acreage treated in 1962. The acreage treated in 1962 was equivalent to about 25 percent of the national crop acreage. These use data do not include chemical weed control on industrial sites and other non-agricultural lands.

Chemical weed control is having a far-reaching impact on all phases of crop production. New chemical methods of weed control will affect choice of crop and variety; seedbed preparation; method of seeding; seeding rates; row spacing; plant spacing in the row; plant populations; fertilizer practices including type, time of application, and placement; cultivation; irrigation practices; harvesting; seed-cleaning operations; erosion control; fallow practices for weed control; disease and insect control practices; pasture renovation; pasture and range management; clearing new lands for crops or pasture; forest management; utilization of farm water resources for irrigation and recreation; and maintenance of drainage ditches, ditchbanks, irrigation canals, and farm roadsides.

Agriculture is on the horizon of a second-generation breakthrough in production efficiency because of the revolution in Weed Science. Already the accomplishments made possible by this revolution have established the necessity for a new research cycle in crop production that can result in new plateaus of crop yields, crop quality, and production and harvesting efficiency.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © 1964 Weed Science Society of America 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Literature Cited

1. Buchholtz, K. P. 1962. Weed control—a record of achievement. Weeds 10:167170.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
2. Crafts, A. S. 1960. Weed control research—past, present, and future. Weeds 10:535540.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
3. Ennis, W. B. Jr. 1958. The challenges of modern weed control. Weeds 6:363369.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4. Ennis, W. B. Jr., Shaw, W. C., Danielson, L. L., Klingman, D. L., and Timmons, F. L. 1963. Impact of chemical weed control on farm management practices. Advances in Agron. 15:161210.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
5. McKibben, E. G. 1959. Engineering in agriculture. Agr. Eng. 40:385, 412, 414.Google Scholar
6. Parker, M. W. 1960. Research and organizational needs in the field of weed control. Weeds 8:556560.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
7. Shaw, W. C., Hilton, J. L., Moreland, D. E., and Jansen, L. L. 1960. The fate of herbicides in plants. In Agr. Res. Serv. Symposium, “The Nature and Fate of Chemicals Applied to Soils, Plants, and Animals” ARS 20-9:119133.Google Scholar
8. Shaw, W. C. 1963. Technological advances in weed control research. Proc. 15th Ann. California Weed Conf. (In press) Google Scholar
9. Shaw, W. C., and Loustalot, A. J. 1963. Revolution in weed science. Agr. Sci. Rev. 1:3847.Google Scholar
10. Willard, C. J. 1951. Where do we go from here? Weeds 1:912.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
11. Losses in agriculture. 1954. Agr. Res. Serv., U. S. Dept. Agr., Washington, D. C. Special Report 20-1. 190 pages. (Data also used from the 1964 edition which is now in press.) Google Scholar
12. Survey of extent and cost of weed control and specific weed problems. 1959. Joint Report ARS 34–23:pp. 65, 1962. Agr. Res. Serv. and Fed. Ext. Serv., U. S. Dept. Agr., Washington, D. C. Google Scholar
13. Survey of extent and cost of weed control and specific weed problems. 1962. Agr. Res. Serv., Econ. Res. Serv., and Fed. Ext. Serv., U. S. Dept. Agr., in cooperation with the 50 State Extension Services and Agr. Exp. Stations. Joint Report 1964. (In press) Google Scholar
14. Summary of methods used to control grass and weeds by Mississippi farmers. 1963. A survey conducted by the Mississippi Agr. Ext. Serv., Mississippi State Univ., in cooperation with the Federal Ext. Serv., U. S. Dept. Agr., State College, Mississippi.Google Scholar