Step 3. Assess control or management options

After determining the types of weeds or pest present, it is important to consider the stage of the pests, their number and the most economic and effective option to control the problem. For weeds, for example, the options include:

1. Hand weeding
2. Mechanically weeding
3. Spraying, or
4. Doing nothing

If the decision is to spray, then it is important to choose the right product (step 4: see succeeding chapters) and apply safely (Step 5: see the reference manual: Safe Application) before re-assessing the situation (back to step 1).