Author
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Buhler, Douglas - Doug |
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LIEBMAN, MATT - IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY |
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OBRYCKI, JOHN - IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY |
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Submitted to: Weed Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 2/26/2000 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: Weeds pose a constant threat to agricultural productivity. In the United States, weeds and weed control have an estimated annual economic cost of more than $15 billion with even greater costs in developing countries. Concern over the economic costs, environmental impacts, and long-term effectiveness of current practices has reinforced the need for integrated systems of weed management. Herbicides and tillage are important tools fo weed control and are the dominant practices in many production systems. While the benefits of these methods are evident, they can also cause environmental contamination, human health problems, soil erosion, and high petrochemical energy consumption. The objective of this project was to critically examine the biological and management challenges associated with the development of integrated weed management systems using integrated pest management (IPM) as the benchmark. We concluded that the basic principles of IPM are highly applicable to weed management, but fundamental differences between insects and weeds make many of the specific tools of IPM difficult to apply to weeds. IPM provides an excellent framework for new approaches to weed management, but weed science must develop its own specific theory and application for integrated management based on the unique characteristics of weed communities, weed management options, and cropping systems. This approach will lead to the development of new management tools for farmers while preserving the effectiveness of existing weed control options. Technical Abstract: Modern weed control tactics have played a major role in the productivity of crop production systems. Herbicides have been an effective component of weed control for major crops, yet weed problems persist and herbicides may cause unintended environmental consequences. Herbicides will continue to play a key role in most production systems, but weed species will continue to evolve and weed communities shift in response to selection pressures. Weed science must develop and integrate additional practices to create integrated weed management (IWM) systems that diversify selection pressures and reduce environmental degradation. Integrated pest management (IPM) may provide a useful framework for the development of IWM systems. The basic principles of IPM are well established and have been successfully applied to many agricultural pests, especially for insects. However, the application of IPM to weed management has lagged behind other pest management disciplines. Some of the concepts and approaches of IPM from other pest sciences are relevant to weed management, but these were not developed specifically for weed management and are not sufficient to adequately address it. Principles of IPM unique to weed management need to be delineated, developed, and put into practice. Although IPM provides an excellent framework for IWM, weed science must develop its own theory, management tactics, and monitoring procedures based on the unique characteristics of weed communities. |
