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- Title
SHAPING THE FUTURE OF WEED SCIENCE TO SERVE HUMANITY IN THE ASIA-PACIFIC.
- Authors
Bakar, Baki Bin
- Abstract
The Asian-Pacific Rim comprises of farming communities with contrasting economic and agricultural development. With population exceeding three billions with significant differences in socioeconomic, technological and digital divide, the economic well-being of the farming communities and consumers is always a difficult and perennial issue bothering political powerhouse, policy makers, agricultural scientists, extension agents and farm managers alike. It is a truism that the story of agriculture is also the story of weed interference. Weeds continue to be a perennial and constant threat to agricultural productivity, despite decades of modern weed control practices aimed at their elimination. Weeds, especially invasive ones, affect agricultural production, forestry, human health, the aesthetic quality of non-crop lands such as lawns, and parks, conservation areas, rights-of-way, drainage and irrigation canals, and other waterways, and rangeland. It is the objectionable nature of weeds arises from the reduction of food quantity and quality produced by crop systems primarily that has become the central focus of most research within the weed science fraternities worldwide. The control of agronomic weeds is a recognized necessity in order to maintain high levels of productivity in an increasingly globalized agricultural economy. While free trade devoid of tariffs and quotas promises to improve the world economy, it will create more and more pathways for movement of invasive species into new environments in different parts of the world. The homogenization of the world's flora and fauna and the lingering effects of introduced invasive species are unintended side effects of accelerating globalization. Both pose a consequential threat to agricultural sustainability, and managed production systems, and to ecosystem biodiversity. The development of herbicide-resistant weeds and weed population shifts continue to challenge the effectiveness of modern weed management practices. Because of the complexity of weed community, integrated approaches to weed management techniques fortified with scientific knowledge in a manner that considers the causes of weed problems rather than reacts to existing weed populations should be practiced with the goal to optimize crop production and grower profit through the concerted use of preventive tactics, management skills, monitoring procedures, and efficient use of control practices. Evidently, there is a dearth of information and a plethora of data showing the incremental benefits of judicious use of herbicides integrated with cultural, mechanical, and biological means in managing weeds, with high yields, yet minimized environmental impact. Weed scientists while facing complex and difficult challenges, must increase the sustainability of our current management approaches and help respond to invasive plants as a component of global change. Any effective response to these challenges will require participation and practice of public scholarship by weed scientists in addressing professional priorities. The future of weed science as a platform in serving humanity is dependent on a joint effort from industry, government regulators, and private and public sectors consisting of grower groups, department of agriculture, the universities and research institutions. I am of the opinion that weedscience will be better positioned in serving humanity within the context of maintaining food security, and environmental safety, if research focus emphasize on research decision processes, weed biology and ecology, weed control and management practices, herbicide resistance, issues related to transgenic crops, environmental and health issues, and potential benefits of weeds. In the same vein, efforts spent on these research areas have benefited and will continue to benefit, not only growers, commodity groups, homeowners, and industry, but also society at large, through the maintenance of food and fiber production system, and environmental safety of agro- and non-agro-ecosystems worldwide
- Subjects
PACIFIC Area; WEED science; AGRICULTURE; SOCIOECONOMIC factors; SOCIOECONOMICS; POPULATION &; economics; SOCIAL conditions of farmers; WEED control; FOOD production
- Publication
Pakistan Journal of Weed Science Research, 2010, Vol 16, Issue 2, p123
- ISSN
1815-1094
- Publication type
Article