Weed Science

What this page covers

This unit sits in the Crop Protection strand of Agriculture and agronomy. Most of what is listed is flashcards for learning to recognize weeds, plus a few mind maps on how weeds spread and how they are managed.

• Identification decks such as Plant ID, Weed ID, Grass ID, BROADLEAVES and Weed Lab. These ask you to name a plant, its family and its distinguishing features.
• Regional and exam decks such as Common Weeds in Southern Ontario, Broad leaf weeds of Ohio, Noxious Weeds and Weed PCA Exam, which includes weeds that are poisonous to animals.
• Herbicide decks including Herbicide Types and Modes of Action, 5: Herbicide Groups and 7: Herbicide resistance.

Where to start

Begin with a mind map to get the big picture. The Weeds map that covers weed biology, major weeds of crops and integrated weed control is a good overview. The other Weeds map looks at where weeds come from, their life cycles (annual, ephemeral, perennial) and the problems they cause.

Next, move to identification. Plant ID and Weed ID Flashcards suit a first pass. Then try the numbered or weekly decks, such as Week 1, Week 2 weeds and Weeds 1-8, to build your list step by step.

Moving on to control

Once you can name the weeds, look at how they are managed. The Volunteer Cereals map sets out control options such as rotational ploughing and a stale seedbed. Testing Herbicide Tolerance describes seed tests and pot tests on seedlings. Then work through the herbicide decks on groups, formulation, selectivity and translocation.

Using the quiz and maps together

Take the quiz first to see what you do not know yet. Then go back to the map or deck that covers that gap. Return to the quiz later and see what has changed. Some resources are in Spanish, such as the map on herbicide selectivity for Arachis pintoi, which may help if you study in that language.

Teachers can use the identification decks as ready-made warm-ups or lab preparation. Pick a deck, open it and see how it fits your course.