Tea is the most popular and cheapest beverage in the world and it can be termed as the smart beverage keeping in view the health benefits derived from drinking tea. Like other agricultural and horticultural crops, tea also needs optimum agronomic care for a high and sustained productivity. Among the critical factors limiting optimum productivity from tea plantations, weeds are counted as one in the top of the list. There are many species of weeds which effect the productivity of tea. Let’s talk about some major tea weeds.

Cynodon dactylon : It is also known as “Bermuda Grass”. The name “Bermuda Grass” derives from its abundance as an invasive species on Bermuda; it does not occur naturally there. The blades are a grey-green colour and are short, usually 4-15 cm long with rough edges. The erect stems can grow 1-30 cm, rarely to 3 ft, tall. The stems are slightly flattened, often tinged purple in color. The seed heads are produced in a cluster of 3–7 spikes (rarely two) together at the top of the stem, each spike 3–6 cm long. It has a deep root system. In drought situations with penetrable soil, the root system can grow to over 2 m deep, though most of the root mass is less than 60 cm under the surface.

Imperata cylindrica is a perennial rhizomatous grass native to east and southeast Asia, India, Micronesia and Australia. It grows from 0.6-3 m (2-10 feet) tall. The leaves are about 2 cm wide near the base of the plant and narrow to a sharp point at the top; the margins are finely toothed and are embedded with sharp silica crystals.. The main vein is a lighter colour than the rest of the leaf and tends to be nearer to one side of the leaf. The upper surface is hairy near the base of the plant while the underside is usually hairless. Roots are up to 1.2 meters deep, but 0.4 m is typical in sandy soil. Cogongrass flowers are borne in conspicuous cylindrical silky white spikes 1-16 in long and 0.25-1 in in diameter. Each individual flower spikelet has two stamens and two feathery stigmas and is attached to a fuzzy plume that later assists the wind-dispersed seed in drifting through the air. Cogon grass ranks number seven on the list of the world’s worst weeds.

Paspalum Scrobiculatum: Kodo millet is a loosely tufted, shallow rooting grass which can reach a height of 30 – 90cm depending upon variety. It is a vigorous, tufted (up to 60 cm diameter) and slender perennial grass. It grows to a height of 0.3-1 m. The roots are rather shallow and the stems are ascending, branched and somewhat succulent. Leaf blades are 15-40 cm long, 5-12 mm wide, pale green. Leaf sheaths and leaves are glabrous. The inflorescence is a panicle, generally consisting of 3-4 racemes, 4-9 cm long. The spikelets are arranged in two or three rows. Seeds are ellipsoidal, 2 mm long, 1.5 mm wide and light brown coloured.

Axonopus compressus is a robust, stoloniferous grass with flowering stems that can be up to 45cm tall. The leaves, however,generally form a dense mat that seldom reaches a height of more than 15cm. The plant is sometimes harvested from the wild for local medicinal use. It forms a dense mat of growth and responds well to cutting. It is often used as a lawn, makes a good ground cover under tree crops and can be used to stabilize the soil. This weed is usefull in many ways but it is considerd the most harmful weed of tea.

Weed infestation and thereby damage to tea is more severe in young tea up to two years before canopy closure and during the period of pruning every three to four years. Uncontrolled growth of these weeds can cause a loss of tea productivity to the extent of 50-70 %. If the problem is her then solution is also. HPM’s Garund is the best solution for tea growers. Garud is a non selective systemic herbicide, absorbed by the foliage, with rapid translocation throughout the plant. It is used in different stages as a pre-harvest, pre-emergence, post emergence and pre-plant incorporation. It effectively controls annual, biennial, perennial grasses, sedges, broad-leaf weeds and wood shrubs. It ensures complete kill of treated weeds thereby preventing regeneration of weeds.