ABSTRACT
Considering many other creeping plant species, strawberries are comparatively poor competitors against weeds for light, nutrients and moisture as these are shallow-rooted crops. Most weeds that invade strawberries fields are annuals. During plant establishment, little mallow (Malva parviflora), bur clover (Medicago polymorpha), sweet clover (Melilotus officinalis) and filaree (Erodium cicutarium) are common weeds because of the survival of their seeds after fumigation. After planting, grasses and broadleaf weeds with windblown seeds, including thistle and common groundsel, become problems. In certain sites, perennial weeds such as field bindweed and bermuda grass or yellow nut sedge may become serious, and their management is essential, especially in fields where the plantation is continued to a second cycle/year of production (Fennimore et al., 2010). Season long uncontrolled weed growth can reduce the strawberry productivity by 51%, and for every 100 g increase in weed biomass, fruit yield decreases by 6% (Prittis and Kelly, 2004). Moreover, in fields heavily infested by weeds, manual fruit harvesting becomes labour intensive, and it increases the cost of cultivation (Figure 15.1). Some of the commonly found weeds in strawberry field are illustrated from Figures 15.2 through 15.13. In the pick your own berries system of harvesting, weed-free fields are important for repeated sales and customer satisfaction. An efficient weed control programme should integrate the knowledge of how weeds enter the field to prevent infestation, cultural control and chemical control practices. The primary goal of weed management should be to minimize weed competition for optimum yield. Strawberry field heavily infested with weeds. https://s3-euw1-ap-pe-df-pch-content-public-p.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9781498796125/8b510429-241b-4968-8c7d-054656a03d22/content/fig15_1_C.jpg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"/> <italic>Gnaphalium uliginosum</italic> (Marsh cupweed). https://s3-euw1-ap-pe-df-pch-content-public-p.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9781498796125/8b510429-241b-4968-8c7d-054656a03d22/content/fig15_2_C.jpg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"/> Carthamus oxyacantha. https://s3-euw1-ap-pe-df-pch-content-public-p.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9781498796125/8b510429-241b-4968-8c7d-054656a03d22/content/fig15_3_C.jpg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"/> <italic>Melilotus indica.</italic> https://s3-euw1-ap-pe-df-pch-content-public-p.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9781498796125/8b510429-241b-4968-8c7d-054656a03d22/content/fig15_4_C.jpg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"/> Anagallis arvensis. https://s3-euw1-ap-pe-df-pch-content-public-p.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9781498796125/8b510429-241b-4968-8c7d-054656a03d22/content/fig15_5_C.jpg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"/> Oxalis corniculata. https://s3-euw1-ap-pe-df-pch-content-public-p.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9781498796125/8b510429-241b-4968-8c7d-054656a03d22/content/fig15_6_C.jpg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"/> Parthenium hysterophorus. https://s3-euw1-ap-pe-df-pch-content-public-p.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9781498796125/8b510429-241b-4968-8c7d-054656a03d22/content/fig15_7_C.jpg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"/> Cannabis sativa. https://s3-euw1-ap-pe-df-pch-content-public-p.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9781498796125/8b510429-241b-4968-8c7d-054656a03d22/content/fig15_8_C.jpg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"/> <italic> Cyperus</italic> spp. https://s3-euw1-ap-pe-df-pch-content-public-p.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9781498796125/8b510429-241b-4968-8c7d-054656a03d22/content/fig15_9_C.jpg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"/> <italic> Fumaria parviflora</italic> (fineleaf fumitory/ Indian fumitory). https://s3-euw1-ap-pe-df-pch-content-public-p.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9781498796125/8b510429-241b-4968-8c7d-054656a03d22/content/fig15_10_C.jpg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"/> <italic> Xanthium strumarium</italic> (cocklebur). https://s3-euw1-ap-pe-df-pch-content-public-p.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9781498796125/8b510429-241b-4968-8c7d-054656a03d22/content/fig15_11_C.jpg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"/> <italic>Conyza canadensis</italic> (horseweed). https://s3-euw1-ap-pe-df-pch-content-public-p.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9781498796125/8b510429-241b-4968-8c7d-054656a03d22/content/fig15_12_C.jpg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"/> <italic> Eleusine indica</italic> (Indian goosegrass). https://s3-euw1-ap-pe-df-pch-content-public-p.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9781498796125/8b510429-241b-4968-8c7d-054656a03d22/content/fig15_13_C.jpg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"/>
