A weed is a plant growing in a cultivated area that wasn't planted or
intended by the farmer.
So a corn plant growing in a soybean field is a weed and arugula
growing in the spinach patch is a weed.
Modern agriculture uses very strong and toxic herbicides to eliminate
these plants growing in the wrong place. Sometime only a few onces
per acre will eliminate all but the desired crop.
I don't get too hung up on weeds.
If another plant doesn't cause economic damage or go to seed we just
work around the undesired species.
Many farmers are discovering that other species may actually enhance
their crops. Instead of competeing for resources, the alternate
plants can actually enhance their crop.
The models for this are actually seen in the polyculture prarie where
multiple species exist in symbiosis.
Nature never leaves the ground bare and maybe we farmers shouldn't
either.
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