Advantages ofHerbicides or Chemical method of Weed Control
The use of herbicides as pre-plant and pre-emergence treatment can control weeds, before their emergence from the soil so that crop can germinate and grow in weed free environment or with minimum competition during their tender and seedling stage. This is not possible with other methods of weed control.
In broadcast sown and narrow spaced crops herbicides prove very effective in reaching every weed. Mechanical methods are not so effective in such crops.
Weeds with similar morphological characters like crop are escaped from mechanical method. But now herbicides are available which can kill such weeds without damaging the crop.
Herbicides withhold the weeds for considerable period after their application. In mechanical methods weeds tend to grow back soon.
Deep rooted, vegetatively propagated weeds can be controlled by using translocated herbicides. The mechanical methods like weeding or hoeing are not so effective for their control. Sometimes the suitable combination of mechanical methods (deep ploughing or digging) and chemical methods is more effective for controlling such weeds.