In Israel, an intensive modern agriculture has developed under difficult ecological constraints. The climate is characterized by two distinct seasons – a cool, rainy winter and a hot, dry summer. In winter, there are often temporary excesses of rain, causing erosion and preventing regular cultivation of fields; and in summer the soil dries out, and intensive cropping is only possible with irrigation. However, water is scarce and rationed directly by maximizing irrigation efficiency, and indirectly by controlling weeds, which compete for soil moisture.

More than 90% of the world's rice is produced in Asia. It is grown under diverse cultural methods ranging from well-drained upland conditions to wetland conditions where the soil is continuously submerged. The major system of establishing rice in Asia is transplanting. One of the major reasons for transplanting is weed control. In this system, the rice plant has a competitive advantage over the weeds from the start, and sometimes it is able to maintain this advantage throughout crop growth.