What is a smother crop an example of?

• A. Cultural and mechanical control
• B. Crop Rotation
• C. Crop Competition
• D. Biological control

Answer: (C)

Smother crops suppress weeds by forming a dense, fast-growing canopy that quickly uses light, water, and nutrients. This creates a competitive environment where the crop outcompetes weeds, limiting their germination and growth. That direct competition for resources is the defining feature, so it’s an example of crop competition. It isn’t about tillage or mowing (cultural and mechanical control), it isn’t about rotating crops to break weed cycles (crop rotation), and it isn’t about using pests or pathogens to manage weeds (biological control).