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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #75680
Title: BIOLOGICAL AND CONTROL CHALLENGES TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF INTEGRATED WEED MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

Author
item Buhler, Douglas - Doug
item HARTZLER, ROBERT - IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: Weed Science Society of America Meeting Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/6/1997
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: There is increasing interest in developing integrated weed management systems from all sectors of the weed science community. Herbicides are an important component of weed management and will remain so for years to come. However, we need to develop methods to improve the efficiency of herbicide use and develop alternative control methods. Herbicides are used on more than 95% of the corn and soybean in the Corn Belt because of the presence of weeds and the need to reduce their adverse economic impacts. Inputs of herbicides and tillage are needed to control weeds because of the lack of knowledge of weed biology and ecology, continuous production of summer annual row crops, and the absence of control alternatives. Currently, weed science has few, if any, alternatives to herbicides and tillage that are both economically and environmentally desirable. Criticizing the weed management systems currently in use on most of our cropland is easy. However, providing integrated practices that meet the needs of crop producers is difficult. Development and implementation of new weed management systems will be a long-term process that will require cooperation of producers and public and private sector weed scientists.