Dispersal of Weeds (Weed Dissemination)

The dispersal of seeds and vegetative propagulesA propagule is a vegetative structure that can become detached from a plant and give rise to a new plant, e.g. a bud, sucker, or spore. More of weeds away from the parent plant is nature’s way of providing non-competitive sites or places to new individuals. If the seeds fall close to the parent plant it will lead to severe competition from germinating seeds to their great disadvantage.

What is Weed Dispersal?

Weed dispersal is simply the transporting of weeds from one place to another through several means and agents.

Weeds invade new habitats through a process called seed dispersal. They produce a large number of seeds, fruits and propagules that can be easily carried (dispersed) and spread all over the place by dispersing agents like humans, animals, wind and water. This leads to the wide distribution and persistence of weeds.

Agent of weed dispersal is generally assumed to be anything that takes the seed of a weed from one destination to another for the sole purpose of propagation.

Agents of Weed Dispersal:

The agents of weed dispersal include the following: