ABSTRACT
Many traditional farmers spend an inordinate amount of time in weed control. Many vector-borne viruses spread through weed hosts. Weeds may be situated within the crop, alongside the crop, or a long distance from the crop. Profuse weed growth may increase the humidity within a crop canopy by reducing air circulation, and this increased humidity may favor some pathogens. Eradication of weeds may be an important component of disease management, although in many cases eradication is impractical or non-economic. Weeds may serve as a reservoir of inoculum for various diseases and a means for pathogen inoculum to survive adverse conditions and overseason. Although traditional farmers may expend more labor in controlling weeds than any other single activity, weeds may also be perceived by traditional farmers to have value for food, mulches, medicine, firewood, thatch, and forage for animals.
