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Accepted manuscript

Teak and melina farmers' perceptions about problematic weed species and management practices in the tropics of Costa Rica

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 October 2025

Mario Guevara Bonilla
Affiliation:
Associate Professor, Forestry Department, Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica, Cartago, Costa Rica
Robin Gómez Gómez
Affiliation:
Associate Professor, Estación Experimental Agrícola Fabio Baudrit, Universidad de Costa Rica, Costa Rica
Ramón G. León*
Affiliation:
William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor and University Scholar, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
*
Corresponding author: Ramon G. Leon; Email: rleon@ncsu.edu
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Abstract

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A survey was conducted among teak and melina growers across Costa Rica to assess their perceptions of problematic weed species and to document current weed management practices in forest plantations. A total of 180 farmers were selected from six provinces, yielding an 87% response rate. Results revealed that 47% of respondents had established plantations on formerly forested land, while 43% did so on previously used pastureland. Most farmers employed an integrated weed management approach combining manual, mechanical, and chemical methods. The most frequently cited problematic species included coyol palm, jaraguagrass, orchid vine, raspa guacal, and arrocillo. Herbicide use was widespread, with glyphosate, metsulfuron-methyl, and paraquat being the most common active ingredients, typically applied singly, in mixtures, or sequentially. The findings underscore a heavy reliance on only three herbicides and highlight the need for targeted control of Poaceae species and climbing vines. This work contributes valuable insights into weed dynamics in tropical forest plantations and emphasizes the need for region-specific and sustainable management strategies to mitigate potential productivity constraints and reduce reliance on herbicides.

Information

Type
Research Article
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BYCreative Common License - NCCreative Common License - ND
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is unaltered and is properly cited. The written permission of Cambridge University Press must be obtained for commercial re-use or in order to create a derivative work.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Weed Science Society of America