As part of the College of Agriculture’s efforts at the University of Kerbala to reinforce the applied approach in the educational process, the Department of Plant Protection organized a series of practical lectures for third-year students in the course “Weeds and Their Control.” The lectures aimed to familiarize students with harmful weeds affecting agricultural crops, as well as methods for their identification and control.
The practical sessions, held in the college’s agricultural laboratories and fields, witnessed active student participation under the supervision of a group of faculty members and with the follow-up and supervision of Assistant Professor Istabraq Mohammed Abdul Redha.
Students examined live and dried samples of annual and perennial weed species, and scientific methods for distinguishing them from economic crops were explained. In addition, students were introduced to their growth stages and their negative impacts on agricultural production.
The practical component of the lectures included training students in the use of field survey tools, classification of weeds according to plant families, and identification of modern control strategies—mechanical, chemical, and biological—while emphasizing the safe use of herbicides and their environmental impacts.
Assistant Professor Istabraq Mohammed Abdul Redha emphasized the importance of these practical lectures, stating: “Weed science is a fundamental subject in shaping the agricultural engineer, as competition between crop plants and weeds represents a real challenge to production. We are keen to ensure that students leave the practical session capable of diagnosing problems and proposing appropriate field solutions.”
Students expressed their significant benefit from the practical component, noting that direct observation and handling of weeds in both laboratory and field settings helped them better understand the theoretical material and equipped them with practical skills required in the labor market.
It is worth noting that the Department of Plant Protection places great emphasis on the practical aspect in all its courses, based on the belief that agriculture is an applied science that requires continuous practice and training.
