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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stoneville, Mississippi » Crop Production Systems Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #342429
Title: Effects of weed management on soil ecosystems

Author
item Tyler, Heather
item Locke, Martin

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/14/2017
Publication Date: 1/1/2019
Citation: Tyler, H.L., Locke, M.A. 2019. Effects of weed management on soil ecosystems. In: Korres, N.E. Burgos, N.R., Duke, S.O., editors. Weed Control: Sustainability Hazards, and Risks in Cropping Systems Worldwide. Boca Raton, Florida: Taylor & Francis Group. p. 32-61.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The soil ecosystem is composed of a diverse array of organisms carrying out crucial services, including nutrient cycling, filtering of pollutants, and maintaining conditions favorable for plant growth. In agricultural systems, the methods employed to control weed populations in crop fields can have both adverse and stimulatory effects on the organisms present in soil and the functions they carry out. Some of the more commonly used weed control practices include tillage, cover crops, and herbicide application. This chapter discusses how each of these weed management strategies influence soil ecosystems and soil health, with respect to chemical, physical, and biological processes.