This course integrates
the two major sources of economic losses that occur while crops are still in
the field. The course will, therefore cover (i) weed science (wee
identification, ecology, morphology, distribution economic importance and
control using all the methods); (ii) pest management (pest identification,
classification, pest outbreak, crop losses due to pests, concept of economic
threshold). Emphasis will be put on pest
that attack crops of economic value (coffee, cotton, maize, rice, beans,
bananas, tea, ground nuts, etc.). In the
practical work, students will survey weeds, collect and make weed albums, and
carry out practical management using various classes of herbicides and other
methods of weed control, identify common plant pests of important crops and
their control.