Abstract

The weed spurry (Spergula arvensis) which is native to Europe and later got established in U. S. A. (1) South Africa (2) Canada (3) India and other countries, has been reported in India even as early as 1874 by Bentham and Hooker (8). The authors do not describe it is an introduced weed, though it has been stated as a native of Europe, in the Bullettin of the Michigan State Agricultural College (1). Its introduction into India must have been long before 1874. No reference to it as an established weed in India, has been made either by Bentham and Hooker (8) or by Gamble (1928) (9) though both of them have described it as occuring in cultivated fields in the cool parts of India. In South India it is said to occur in the Kodaikanal and Nilgiri Hills (9) & (15). Hence it must have become a noxious weed through vigorous growth and effective self-propagation only recently. At present it has assumed threatening proportions especially in some tracts of upper Nilgiris, and according to an official report from Nanjanad, it is said to smother all the orops in the fields of the Agricultural Research Station there. Hence an attempt has been made in this paper to review the various chemical herbicides and to assess their usefulness with particular reference to spurry.. Spurry is generally found as dense growths in corn fields and other waste places. It is reported to be harmful to corn crops, root crops and clover crops. When plentiful it practically suppresses both spring and summer crops.

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