Weed Management Practices in Maize (Zea mays L.): A Review
In India the highest loss (33%) is caused by weeds, followed by pathogens (26%), insects (20%), storage pests (7%), rodents (6%) and others (8%). Weeds compete with the crop for both above and below ground resources. Critical period of weed competition starts from 17 to 29 days after planting of corn, at an acceptable yield loss of 5 to 10 per cent. Herbicides are efficient tools for checking weed infestation and its usage is increasing throughout the globe due to increasing labour cost and quick weed control in various situations. The common weed management practice for Maize is pre-emergence application of selective herbicides like atrazine or pendimethalin followed by one hand weeding. Managing weeds through pre-emergence, post-emergence and sequential use of herbicides will be an ideal means for controlling the weeds in the view of economics and effectiveness in maize.