Greenearth Agrochemical / Mohd Hafizul Mat Zain ... [et al.]

Plantation crops largely dominate Malaysian agriculture. Malaysian the world's biggest producer of oil palm and range third as the world rubber producer. In 1999, the area cultivated oil palm, rubber, paddy and other types of crops which was 73.2 % of the total cultivated area. The export earnings from plantation crops and it's based product were about RM 38 billion. In order to enhance Malaysia's competitiveness in the international market, high yield and lower production cost must be achieved. One of the important agronomic input is the management of weeds. Weeds need to be managed well so that they do not suppress growth, reduce yield, obstruct tapping and harvesting of fruits and interfere with agronomic operations. As weed management is an important component of efficient crop and vegetation management, the chemicals product created to solve it. The significance of weed management is shown by the high expenditure of RM 290 million spent on herbicides mainly in plantation crops in 1999 to 2000. The high cost in weed management amounted to 13.6 % to 27.9 % for the total plantation crops during their immature periods. Integrated weed management involves the classification of ground covers, planting of legume covers and intercrops, good cultural practices, correct herbicide usage, mechanization, efficient spraying system and animal grazing. This balanced approach ensures efficient crops and vegetation management to sustain high yields.