Weeds constitute a major constraint to agricultural productivity. Chemical weed management has been the focus in agriculture ever since the discovery of 2,4-D over 75 years ago. But repeated application of one type of herbicides will sort out resistant strains within the weed population. This became real beginning 1957 in U.K., Hawaii, USA and Canada in the case of 2,4-D. With continuous use of same group of herbicides since that time, herbicide resistance has become a significant global problem. Currently, 262 weed species (152 dicots and 110 monocots), infesting 93 crops and non-crop areas in 70 countries, have been identified to develop resistance to different herbicides. In this situation, weed scientists need to look for alternative weed management approaches that enhance agricultural productivity. One such alternative is precision weed management (PWM) which is inclusive of those methods that will ensure greater farm productivity. These include a combination of need-specific, site-specific and cost-effective weed sensing systems (ground-based and aerial-based) in addition to integrated weed management that includes chemical, mechanical, manual and cultural methods. Weed scientists need to look ahead to explore and develop a combination of these methods for the benefit of farming community by reorienting their future research programs in this direction.
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