
Society Underscores promoting integrated weed management
ADDIS ABABA, December 28, 2007- The Ethiopian Weed Science society (EWSS) has stressed the significance of promoting weed management for it has immense contribution in increasing productivity. Opening society 8th annual conference organized under the theme "Enhancing adoption of Integrated weed Management in Ethiopia", yesterday, Ethiopian institute of Agricultural Research Dr. Solomon Assefa said that without the transformation of subsistence agriculture, realizing sustainable development, growth and poverty reduction is impossible. He said farmers should be aware that weeds reduce yield, quality of crops, interfere with harvesting affect human and animal health and their biodiversity. the should also appreciate that low weed population can quickly propagate and become more difficult to control. "Without these insights, farmers are not motivated to seek and apply adequate control measures," he added. "It is the duty of those who serve the farming community to impart the message that weeds are very important pests," he said. According to Dr. Solomon, the conference is meant to discussing relevant issues on how to enhance the existing integrated weed management technology to farmers and indicating directions to future weed science research and extension across the nation. Society president Dr. Taye Tessema on his part said that weeds still remain among the most pressing agricultural pets of the farming community and the environment. He also said that factors that pose serious threat to agriculture in Ethiopia are, among other, the heavy in festation of grass weeds in small cereals, the severe encroachment of parasitic weeds like string, and the build up of exotic invasive weeds. Experts, professionals, agriculturalists working in the area of research in collaboration with development agents and farmers at large are expected to aggressively work towards enhancing agricultural productivity via employing integrated weed management as production could not be increased without a considerable improvement in weed control, he said.
©Copyright 2004. Addis Ababa City Administration

Society Underscores promoting integrated weed management

ADDIS ABABA, December 28, 2007- The Ethiopian Weed Science society (EWSS) has stressed the significance of promoting weed management for it has immense contribution in increasing productivity.

Opening society 8th annual conference organized under the theme "Enhancing adoption of Integrated weed Management in Ethiopia", yesterday, Ethiopian institute of Agricultural Research Dr. Solomon Assefa said that without the transformation of subsistence agriculture, realizing sustainable development, growth and poverty reduction is impossible.

He said farmers should be aware that weeds reduce yield, quality of crops, interfere with harvesting affect human and animal health and their biodiversity. the should also appreciate that low weed population can quickly propagate and become more difficult to control. "Without these insights, farmers are not motivated to seek and apply adequate control measures," he added.

"It is the duty of those who serve the farming community to impart the message that weeds are very important pests," he said.

According to Dr. Solomon, the conference is meant to discussing relevant issues on how to enhance the existing integrated weed management technology to farmers and indicating directions to future weed science research and extension across the nation.

Society president Dr. Taye Tessema on his part said that weeds still remain among the most pressing agricultural pets of the farming community and the environment.

He also said that factors that pose serious threat to agriculture in Ethiopia are, among other, the heavy in festation of grass weeds in small cereals, the severe encroachment of parasitic weeds like string, and the build up of exotic invasive weeds.

Experts, professionals, agriculturalists working in the area of research in collaboration with development agents and farmers at large are expected to aggressively work towards enhancing agricultural productivity via employing integrated weed management as production could not be increased without a considerable improvement in weed control, he said.