Okuzeka
Agriculture vocabulary · Pests, Diseases and Weeds

Weed

Meaning in agriculture, with examples

nounCore term

In agriculture, weed means: A wild plant growing where it is not wanted, especially among crops, where it competes with them for water, light and nutrients.

In Turkish: yabancı ot, ot

How it is used

Farmers talk about weed control, weed pressure and weed competition, and they spray, hoe or cultivate to remove weeds. As a verb, 'weed' means to remove weeds by hand or with a tool ('weed the onion beds').

Example sentences

  1. Weeds can cut sugar beet yields dramatically in the first weeks.

  2. We need a better weed control plan for the organic fields.

Common collocations

  • weed control
  • weed pressure
  • broadleaf weeds
  • grass weeds
  • weed seeds
  • herbicideA chemical product used to kill weeds or stop them from growing, either before or after they come up through the soil.
  • tillageThe preparation of soil for growing crops by mechanical work such as plowing, harrowing or cultivating.
  • crop rotationThe practice of growing different crops on the same field in a planned order over several seasons to keep the soil healthy and reduce pests, diseases and weeds.
  • cover cropA crop grown mainly to protect and improve the soil between main crops, rather than to be harvested, such as vetch, clover, rye or mustard.
  • integrated pest managementAn approach to crop protection that combines monitoring, prevention, biological and cultural methods, and uses pesticides only when pest levels justify it.

More terms: Pests, Diseases and Weeds

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