Vol. 11, Issue 4 (2022)

Author(s):
G Manisankar, Pritam Ghosh, Ganesh Chandra Malik and Mahua Banerjee

Abstract:
Weed management in agriculture is a critical juncture. Several factors are responsible for reducing the crop productivity in worldwide. However, weed infestation is the major biotic constraint. Weeds deplete the crop environment by compete with nutrients, space, water and light. This competition leads to reduction in crop yield considerably. Weed free condition during the critical period of crop weed competition is absolutely important for getting maximum yield. Weeds can be effectively managed by cultural, physical, chemical and biological methods. All those methods of weed control have its own advantage and disadvantages. Among all those methods, hand weeding is an effective method of weed management. At the same time increasing laborer cost and scarcity of laborer during peak period of agricultural operation led to search for alternative methods. In this above context, chemical method is most effective and economical way of weed management. Herbicide offer effective weed control during before crop planting as a pre plant herbicide, after crop planting and before weed emergence as a pre-emergence herbicide and after weed emergence in a standing crop as a post emergence herbicide. Apart from the weed control, excessive and inappropriate uses of chemical herbicides have gradually resulted in the wide problems of food and environmental contamination in recent days. Now a days new advanced technologies are coupled with chemical weed management for increase its efficiency. The aim of the review paper is to detailly address the recent chemical weed management technologies like herbigation, nanoherbicides, herbicide mixtures, low dose herbicides, new spotted sprayer technology, drone application of herbicides and stale seed bed technique by herbicides. This new generation technologies are used for manage the labour shortage and fasten the timely agricultural operation. Hence, these recent technologies helps to reduce the herbicide dose and decrease environmental contamination as well as increase the profitability. From this review, it could be concluded that, implementation of new generation weed management technologies in agriculture helps to efficient weed control, manage the labour shortage, reduce the environmental contamination and enhance the crop productivity.