Recent Developments of Weed Management in Rice Fields

Abstract

Rice is an important source of food worldwide. However, the growth of weeds in paddy fields pose a major biological threat to higher rice productivity and quality. Various cultural, chemical, biological, and physical practices affect the growth and composition of weeds in paddy fields. In general, weeds can be effectively controlled through herbicides although the use of chemical-based weed control measures do not provide sustainable solution for the long term. This review highlights the different weed types and their effects on rice production as well as weed management methods that can be used to control the growth of weeds in rice fields. The major points are as follows: (1) there are several types of weeds found in rice (i.e., grassy, sedges and broad leaf), (2) weeds contribute to the rice crop losses and (3) there are a few methods applied for weed control. This review has found that it was beneficial to use biological method instead of using herbicide to control the weeds. This paper can contribute to the knowledge for increasing crop production and sustainable weed management.