scholarly journals An ecological future for weed science to sustain crop production and the environment. A review

2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chloe MacLaren ◽  
Jonathan Storkey ◽  
Alexander Menegat ◽  
Helen Metcalfe ◽  
Katharina Dehnen-Schmutz
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Weed Science

The Weed Science Curriculum

1987 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 173-176
Author(s):  
Robert L. Zimdahl
Keyword(s):  
Science Education ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Core Curriculum ◽  
Science Curriculum ◽  
Weed Science ◽  
Student Interests

A survey showed weed scientists agree that basic agronomy, crop production and plant-oriented courses are essential in weed science education. Although there was no consensus on the structure of a core curriculum or even on whether one was needed, they agreed that curricula must be constructed to fit student interests, goals, and abilities.

Research Priority Dynamics in Weed Science

1994 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 396-399 ◽  
Author(s):  
John R. Abernathy ◽  
David C. Bridges
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Science Research ◽  
The United States ◽  
Weed Science ◽  
Great Loss ◽  
Research Priority ◽  
History Of ◽  
And Control ◽  
And Training

For this presentation we would like to discuss some history of weeds and their control, the evolution of weed science, the development of herbicides and the changing dynamics of weed science research. As mentioned by previous speakers, weeds cause great loss to almost every crop production enterprise in the United States and around the world. Man has sought to control weeds by various methods including cultural practices, cultivation, hoeing, and with herbicides. Pioneer weed scientists were individuals trained in the areas of physiology, botany, and agronomy. They applied their knowledge and training to the understanding of growth, development, and control of weeds in the late 1800's and early 1900's.

Research Priorities in Weed Science

1988 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chester G. Mcwhorter ◽  
William L. Barrentine
Keyword(s):  
Ground Water ◽  
Weed Control ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Conservation Tillage ◽  
Science Research ◽  
The United States ◽  
Control Technology ◽  
Research Needs ◽  
Weed Science ◽  
Research Committee

Members from all four Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) regions in the United States ranked the research need to “develop new methods for controlling the movement of herbicides and their metabolites into ground water, surface water, and air” first of six major weed science research needs. Canadian members ranked the need to “devise more efficient and less costly weed control technology for conservation-tillage crop-production systems” first; but they also gave high ratings to “improve base knowledge of weed science, improve applicator training, and transfer of information to Extension Service personnel, farm producers, and administrators” and to “discover new ecological, biological, and non-chemical methods of weed control.” The needs to “develop improved methods of increasing the tolerance of crops to herbicides” and to “develop new technology for control of perennial weeds of crops and rangeland” were ranked low. The WSSA Research Committee, at the request of WSSA Presidents J. D. Riggleman (1985) and O. C. Burnside (1986), asked 977 members to rank weed science research needs. The members (ca 50% of the active membership in North America) were selected at random from every other state, federal, industry, and “other” member of each state or province from the up-to-date list of the WSSA business office. Within the highest ranked priority research need, the 422 U.S. and Canadian respondents consistently ranked the research areas (a) to “develop new application techniques that minimize or eliminate herbicides and their residues in air and water”, and (b) to “conduct research to regulate movement of herbicides through the soil profile to avoid contamination of ground water” high, regardless of the type of employment. They emphasized increasing research on the morningglory (Ipomoea spp. # IPOXX) complex, yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus L. # CYPES), quackgrass [Agropyron repens (L.) Beauv. # AGREE], and several other weeds. More members, regardless of region or type of employment, ranked conservation tillage the most important crop or situation that needed new and improved weed control technology.

The Status of Weed Science at Universities and Experiment Stations in the Northeastern United States

2004 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 1150-1156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey F. Derr
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Plant Pathology ◽  
Weed Management ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Science Research ◽  
The United States ◽  
Northeastern United States ◽  
Weed Ecology ◽  
Weed Science ◽  
The Status

Weed science is an important component of pest management. Weeds cause approximately 12% loss in United States crop production, reduce crop quality, poison livestock, and adversely affect human health, recreation, and transportation. Herbicides comprise approximately 65% of pesticide expenditures, whereas insecticides and fungicides each comprise less than 20%. The total effect of weeds, including crop losses and costs of control, in the United States was estimated in 1994 to be $20 billion annually. A survey was prepared and mailed to weed scientists at universities and experiment stations in the northeastern United States to determine the number of faculty positions and course offerings devoted to weed science. There are approximately five times as many entomologists and more than three times as many plant pathologists as weed scientists at universities in the northeast. There are more than six times as many graduate students currently in entomology and more than four times as many in plant pathology compared with weed science. Few undergraduate courses in weed science are taught, and most universities have no graduate classes in weed science. There are almost seven times as many undergraduate entomology courses and more than twice as many plant pathology courses as weed science classes in this region. There are more than 17 times as many graduate entomology courses and more than 15 times as many plant pathology courses compared with weed science graduate classes. There are no departments devoted solely to weed science in the northeast, whereas entomology and plant pathology departments are both common. Most universities have little to no faculty assigned to aquatic, forestry, noncrop weed control, weed ecology, or laboratory trials, and numbers assigned to agronomic and horticultural crop weed management are limited. Additional university resources are needed if weed science research, teaching, and extension efforts are to meet the priority needs in weed management.

Integrated Weed Management–A Component of Integrated Pest Management: A Critical Review

1991 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 648-656 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald C. Thill ◽  
Joan M. Lish ◽  
Robert H. Callihan ◽  
Edward J. Bechinski
Keyword(s):  
Integrated Pest Management ◽  
Pest Management ◽  
Weed Management ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Integrated Weed Management ◽  
Systems Science ◽  
Economic Damage ◽  
Weed Science ◽  
Interdisciplinary Practice

Integrated weed management (IWM) is a component of integrated pest management (IPM), which is an interdisciplinary practice involving disciplines such as entomology, nematology, plant pathology, weed science, horticulture, agronomy, ecology, economics, and systems science. Most descriptions of IPM mention three elements: a) multiple tactics (for example, competitive varieties, cultural practices, herbicide usage) used in a compatible manner; b) pest populations maintained below levels that cause economic damage, and c) conservation of environmental quality. Integrated weed management was discussed in 1981 during a Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) Symposium entitled Integrated Weed Management Systems Technology for Crop Production and Protection. Topics presented included modeling weed biology, crop manipulation, biological control, herbicide technology, research needs, teaching approaches, and extension implementation. Our paper was presented as part of a symposium on IWM at the 1990 WSSA meeting. This paper describes some of the research that weed scientists have conducted during the past 40 yr. Topics examined include an introductory review of IPM, trends in several categories of weed research, goals and suggestions stated during the 1981 WSSA Symposium on IWM, IWM accomplishments since about 1981, and the future of IWM as a component of IPM.

Research Needs in Weed Science

1994 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 408-409 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Dan Hess
Keyword(s):  
Weed Management ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Research Needs ◽  
Weed Science ◽  
Research Committee ◽  
Field Environment ◽  
Primary Basis ◽  
Science Symposium

During 1992, the Research Committee of the Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) prepared a list of research needs for the discipline of weed science. The identified needs fit well with the recommendations of the Future Directions for Weed Science Symposium held in Washington D.C. on April 15, 1993, thus are provided as a supplement to the Symposium publication. The Research Committee concluded weed science research should focus on increasing knowledge related to the economic and biological impact of weeds across a wide variety of environments (crop production, forestry, right-of-way and aquatic). An increased understanding of the biology, ecology and genetics of weeds is needed to optimize their management. Research on control of weeds with biological agents and natural products should be conducted with emphasis on optimizing performance in the field environment. The development of weed populations resistant to chemical and biological control agents should be studied so the occurrence of such populations can be minimized. Because herbicides will continue to be the primary basis of weed management for the foreseeable future, research is needed to optimize herbicide application technology and to minimize their impact on the environment, particularly related to surface and groundwater contamination. Finally, new and reliable methods to detect herbicide residues in water, soil and vegetation are needed.

Future of Weed Science Research

1992 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 162-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald L. Wyse
Keyword(s):  
Weed Control ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Political Process ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Scientific Discipline ◽  
Basic Knowledge ◽  
Control Technology ◽  
Weed Science

The discipline of weed science is entering a critical period in its development. Decisions made in the next few years will determine if weed science will remain weed control technology oriented or develop into a broad-based scientific discipline. Over the last 30 yr the evolution of weed science has been based on the development of weed control methods. Currently, most crop production systems rely very heavily on one weed control technology, herbicides. Agriculture is now in a debate with society over how food and fiber should be produced. Society is asking weed science, because of food safety and water quality concerns, to develop new methods to control weeds. To do this, weed science must put more emphasis on principles-based research that can provide the basic knowledge required to develop new weed control technology. Weed scientists must join forces with private citizens and organizations concerned with the effect of current agricultural practices on the environment, to obtain, through the political process, new resources for weed science research. These resources are needed to develop the basic principles that will support the development of new weed control technologies with reduced environmental impact. Weed scientists must decide if they are going to lead the direction of weed science research or be led reluctantly by others.

The Contribution of Weed Science to Food Production in Great Britain

Weed Science ◽  
1970 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 681-686 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. G. Elliott
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Great Britain ◽  
Weed Control ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Historical Background ◽  
Weed Science ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Impact

British Agriculture has existed for at least a thousand years, and it would require a book to record the major developments in weed control. My concern today is with the events of the past 25 years during which weed control has become established as a science, and herbicides have been given a widespread introduction. I hope to set these events against a historical background as they relate to Great Britain, and thereafter, to draw out some thoughts on the impact that modern weed science is making and will make in the future on crop production and land use.

Weed Science—The Step Child

1993 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 515-518 ◽  
Author(s):  
Orvin C. Burnside
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
The United States ◽  
Allocation Of Resources ◽  
Weed Science ◽  
The Past ◽  
Public Recognition ◽  
Labor Requirements

A brief evolutionary description is given of the development of the discipline of weed science in the United States. Topics discussed include public recognition of weed science, losses from weeds, allocation of resources, herbicide usage, and future predictions of the development of the discipline. Weed scientists have had a major impact during the past four decades in increasing crop yields and reducing labor requirements for controlling weeds in crop production systems. Weed scientists have been so effective that recognition of their contributions and impact have often been overlooked in academic institutions but not in private industries that have staffed for herbicide development.

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