Pea Crop Weed Warriors Quiz Quiz

Explore key strategies and challenges of managing weeds in pea cultivation. Understand effective methods, timing, and tactics that help maximize pea crop health and yield.

1. Critical Weed Period

   In a pea crop field, at what stage is it most crucial to control weeds to prevent significant yield loss?

   1. 3-6 weeks after sowing
   2. During seed storage
   3. Immediately after harvest
   4. Late flowering stage

   Explanation: Weed competition is most damaging in the early growth stages, typically 3-6 weeks after sowing. During this period, peas are establishing and highly susceptible to competition. 'Immediately after harvest' and 'during seed storage' do not impact yield since the crop is already mature or stored. 'Late flowering stage' is less critical because most yield-determining growth has occurred.

2. Weed Identification

   Which type of weed is most commonly problematic in pea fields due to its rapid early growth and resource competition?

   1. Parasitic plants
   2. Salt-tolerant halophytes
   3. Woody perennials
   4. Annual broadleaf weeds

   Explanation: Annual broadleaf weeds like pigweed or lamb's quarters emerge quickly and compete directly with pea seedlings. Parasitic plants are less common in pea fields, woody perennials grow slowly, and salt-tolerant halophytes typically do not thrive in standard pea-growing soils.

3. Herbicide Selection

   When choosing a pre-emergence herbicide for peas, what property is most important to minimize risk to the crop?

   1. Non-selective weed control
   2. Selective action against weeds
   3. Promotes crop growth hormones
   4. High persistence in soil

   Explanation: Selective herbicides target weeds without harming pea plants, making them ideal for crop safety. High soil persistence can harm subsequent crops. Non-selective herbicides may damage peas, and promoting growth hormones is not a weed control mechanism.

4. Cultural Controls

   Which cultural practice can help suppress weed emergence in a pea crop without using chemicals?

   1. Crop rotation with cereals
   2. Late sowing of peas
   3. Deep water flooding
   4. Frequent use of synthetic pesticides

   Explanation: Rotating peas with cereals disrupts weed life cycles and reduces weed buildup. Deep water flooding is ineffective for peas, frequent pesticide use is not a cultural method and can harm beneficial organisms, and late sowing may allow weeds to establish first.

5. Mechanical Weed Management

   What is a potential drawback of using mechanical weeding, such as inter-row cultivation, in pea fields?

   1. Leads to increased soil salinity
   2. Reduces soil oxygen
   3. Prevents all weed regrowth
   4. Can damage shallow pea roots

   Explanation: Mechanical weeding can injure the shallow roots of pea plants if done carelessly. It does not increase soil salinity or reduce soil oxygen, and it rarely prevents all weed regrowth because new weeds can emerge after cultivation.