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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Fort Pierce, Florida » U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory » Subtropical Plant Pathology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #154560
Title: WEED MANAGEMENT IN ORGANIC PRODUCTION SYSTEMS

Author
item Ables, Camilla
item Rosskopf, Erin
item BULL, C. T. - USDA, ARS, SALINAS

Submitted to: Emerging Concepts in Plant Health
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/1/2004
Publication Date: 7/1/2004
Citation: Yandoc, C.B., Rosskopf, E.N., Bull, C.T. 2004. Weed management in organic production systems, In: Emerging Concepts in Plant Health, R. Lartey, A. Caesar, eds. Research Signpost, Kerala, India. 213-254.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The increased market demand for organically-grown produce warrants specific research efforts aimed at solving problems of organic production systems. Weed control is one of the primary constraints in this production system. In this chapter we provide a discussion of some of the most commonly used, currently available approaches to weed management that fit within traditional organic production philosophies. While much of the research presented here was not conducted under organic production systems, the approaches that were used and the consequences of using these approaches may provide a framework for devising weed control strategies that specifically apply to organic production systems. In addition to encouraging researchers to perform studies on organically managed or certified land, an emphasis is placed on these principles to guide the research process for the future: 1) organic growers have been the main innovators with respect to development of practical weed management strategies and theories for their production systems and should be included in the research process; 2) an emphasis on understanding how practices that improve soil quality can be most beneficial for weed control will result in the greatest advancement of academic weed management theory; and 3) a systems approach to evaluating weed control components and the effects of these practices on other trophic groups in the ecosystem is essential. It appears that a consensus is building among researchers, funding agencies, and growers that long-term research by synergistic multi-disciplinary teams with strong grower participation, conducting research on well managed organic farms is the transition step that will take organic farming and organic farming research to this next level.