Author
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Kremer, Robert |
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Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Proceedings Publication Acceptance Date: 7/1/1999 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: Technical Abstract: Integrated weed management considers all available strategies including tillage, cultural practices, herbicides, genetically modified crops, allelopathy, and biological control for use in enhancing the competitiveness of crops over weeds. A systems approach is used where each management component contributes to weed suppression but not necessarily complete control. A feature of integrated weed management is that multipl control strategies can be used to affect weeds at critical developmental stages including as seeds in the soil, as growing and competitive plants, and during seed production. Integrated weed management is especially attractive for alternative agricultural or biologically based systems that seek to protect environmental quality, reduce costs, and enhance natural biological processes using little, if any, synthetic chemicals. As integrated weed management becomes widely adopted, more information on weed dbiology and ecology, soil management and soil ecology will be required in order to develop effective weed control systems while maintaining or restoring soil quality in agroecosystems. Integration of multiple strategies in biologically based weed management systems will play a major role in reclaiming and restoring both natural and agricultural ecosystems degraded through continuous use of conventional cropping systems. |
