Abstract
This report deals with the slash and burn system applies for developing rice fields in the Santa Cruz district of Bolivia. When a field was subjected to slash and burn, weeds started to grow, hindering rice production.
In the first year of the study, broad-leaved weeds and grassy weeds proliferated. However, as both types of weeds died during the winter season trees with roots underground started to grow.
It is generally recognized that in the slash and burn system weeds can be well controlled naturally in the first year. In this report, however, the authors suggest that the weeds must be controlled by using chemicals from the beginning of the first year to increase rice production.
The authors evaluated the effect of herbicides used for the control of tropical weeds and concluded that Stanpyr emulsifiable concentrate was the most effective chemical for the prevention of weed growth.
