Management and Uses of Weeds in Andalusian Agricultural Treaties

Since the control of weeds has been a constant concern in agriculture, new methods and products are being developed to control them. Currently, we are looking for effective and minimally invasive methods to treat them with. Therefore, this article explores the methods used in the Andalusian period, in many cases derived from the Greco-Byzantine tradition and then further developed. In the Andalusian treatises there are hardly any chapters specifically dedicated to weed extermination, however, the subject is mentioned in different chapters. Sometimes the soil is fertilised to prevent the growth of weeds and sometimes they are simply pulled out by hand. Obviously, there are different ways of eliminating weeds, depending on their quantity and the place in which they are found. The results of this work may lead to treating ground and soil more naturally and less invasively by avoiding chemicals. To begin with, these ancient theories can be applied to and tested in small areas.