Weed Management Strategies to Reduce Herbicide Use in Zero-Till Rice–Wheat Cropping Systems of the Indo-Gangetic Plains

In the rice–wheat (RW) systems of the Indo-Gangetic Plains of South Asia, conservation tillage practices, including zero-tillage (ZT), are being promoted to address emerging problems such as (1) shortages of labor and water, (2) declining factor productivity, (3) deterioration of soil health, and (4) climate change. Despite multiple benefits of ZT, weed control remains a major challenge to adoption, resulting in more dependence on herbicides for weed control. Alternative management strategies are needed to reduce dependence on herbicides and minimize risks associated with their overuse, including evolution of herbicide resistance. The objectives of this review are to (1) highlight and synthesize research efforts in nonchemical weed management in ZT RW systems and (2) identify future weed ecology and management research needs to facilitate successful adoption of these systems. In ZT RW systems, crop residue can play a central role in suppressing weeds through mulch effects on emergence and seed predation. In ZT rice, wheat residue mulch (5 t ha−1) reduced weed density by 22 to 76% and promoted predation of RW weeds, including littleseed canarygrass and barnyardgrass seeds. For ZT wheat, rice residue mulch (6 to 10 t ha−1) in combination with early sowing reduced emergence of littleseed canarygrass by over 80%. Other promising nonchemical approaches that can be useful in suppressing weeds in ZT RW systems include use of certified seeds, weed-competitive cultivars, stale seedbed practices, living mulches (e.g., sesbania coculture), and water and nutrient management practices that shift weed–crop competition in favor of the crop. However, more research on emergence characteristics and mulching effects of different crop residues on key weeds under ZT, cover cropping, and breeding crops for weed suppression will strengthen nonchemical weed management programs. Efforts are needed to integrate multiple tactics and to evaluate long-term effects of nonchemical weed management practices on RW cropping system sustainability.

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Weed management: fact or fable?

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London Series B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rstb.1981.0132 ◽

1981 ◽

Vol 295 (1076) ◽

pp. 185-197 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Keyword(s):

Weed Control ◽

Growth Regulators ◽

Weed Management ◽

Crop Production ◽

Management Practices ◽

Production Systems ◽

Cropping System ◽

Ground Cover ◽

Management Approach ◽

Leguminous Crops

Weed management is a new term for the age-old practice of employing all available means, in a planned way, to keep weed populations under control. It seeks to distinguish the systematic approach to weed control, based on scientific knowledge and rational strategies, from the pragmatic destruction of weeds. The remarkable efficiency of herbicides has in recent years emphasized the latter and allowed revolutionary methods of crop production to be practised. These have, however, led to serious new weed problems which in turn require more intensive herbicide use. The need for a weed management approach is increasingly recognized. New opportunities for this are provided by the availability of numerous herbicides and plant growth regulators and a growing understanding of the biology, ecology and population dynamics of weeds in relation to crop production systems. Examples discussed include: systematic control of grass weeds in intensive cereals in Britain, weed control in rice and in soybeans, the control of aquatic weeds by biological and chemical methods and an experimental zero-tillage cropping system for the humid tropics based on herbicides, growth regulators and ground-cover leguminous crops. In such management systems, interference of weed behaviour by exogenous growth regulators is likely to be of increasing significance. Constraints on the adoption of weed management practices include lack of support for weed science as a discipline, limited appeal to the agrochemical industry and inadequate extension services in many countries.

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Weed Management Strategies in Chickpea (Cicer arietinum): A Review

Agricultural Reviews ◽

10.18805/ag.r-1996 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Akashdeep Singh ◽

S. S. Rana ◽

Anju Bala

Keyword(s):

Weed Control ◽

Cicer Arietinum ◽

Weed Management ◽

Management Practices ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Detailed Knowledge ◽

Basic Requirement ◽

Weed Species ◽

The World ◽

Hand Weeding

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum) is one of the most important pulse crops but it’s productivity in India is quite low. There are various reasons for low productivity. Weed control is the basic requirement and the major component of crop management. Weeds on an average reduce the crop yield by 40-87 per cent. Deciding time to control weeds requires detailed knowledge of the weed populations in the field. Different management practices like altering spacing, competitive cultivars, etc. can help in enhancing the productivity. With the world entering the precision-farming era, more emphasis is being put on the use of post-emergence herbicides. Application of two or more herbicide at the same time or as a double knockdown and integrating with hand-weeding provides desirable control of different weed species besides reducing the hazard of chemical weed control.

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Weed Ecology and Weed Management Strategies for Dry-Seeded Rice in Asia

Weed Technology ◽

10.1614/wt-d-11-00105.1 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 26 (1) ◽

pp. 1-13 ◽

Cited By ~ 158

Author(s):

Bhagirath S. Chauhan

Keyword(s):

Weed Control ◽

Weed Management ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Suppressive Effect ◽

Yield Potential ◽

High Yield ◽

World Population ◽

Weed Ecology ◽

Herbicide Timing ◽

Management Approaches

Rice is a principal source of food for more than half of the world population, and more than 90% of rice worldwide is grown and consumed in Asia. A change in establishment method from manual transplanting of rice seedlings to dry-seeded rice (DSR) has occurred in some countries as growers respond to increased costs or decreased availability of labor or water. However, weeds are a major constraint to DSR production because of the absence of the size differential between the crop and the weeds and the suppressive effect of standing water on weed growth at crop establishment. Herbicides are used to control weeds in DSR, but because of concerns about the evolution of herbicide resistance and a scarcity of new and effective herbicides, there is a need to integrate other weed management strategies with herbicide use. In addition, because of the variability in the growth habit of weeds, any single method of weed control cannot provide effective and season-long control in DSR. Various weed management approaches need to be integrated to achieve effective, sustainable, and long-term weed control in DSR. These approaches may include tillage systems; the use of crop residue; the use of weed-competitive cultivars with high-yield potential; appropriate water depth and duration; appropriate agronomic practices, such as row spacing and seeding rates; manual or mechanical weeding; and appropriate herbicide timing, rotation, and combination. This article aims to provide a logical perspective of what can be done to improve weed management strategies in DSR.

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Effect of Crop Residue on Seedling Emergence and Growth of Selected Weed Species in a Sprinkler-Irrigated Zero-Till Dry-Seeded Rice System

Weed Science ◽

10.1614/ws-d-12-00147.1 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 61 (3) ◽

pp. 403-409 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Bhagirath S. Chauhan ◽

Seth B. Abugho

Keyword(s):

Field Study ◽

Weed Control ◽

Weed Management ◽

Crop Residue ◽

Crop Residues ◽

Seedling Emergence ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Weed Species ◽

Weed Biomass ◽

Residue Retention

Crop residues acting as mulches can influence weed seedling emergence and weed biomass. A field study was conducted to evaluate the effect of rice residue amounts (0, 3, and 6 t ha−1) on seedling emergence of eight weed species in zero-till dry-seeded rice. The highest seedling emergence of spiny amaranth, southern crabgrass, crowfootgrass, junglerice, eclipta, goosegrass, and Chinese sprangletop was observed in the absence of residue. Seedling emergence of these weeds declined with increasing residue amounts; however, the greatest and most substantial reductions in emergence occurred with 6 t ha−1of residue. The presence of residue also resulted in less weed biomass than with the no-residue treatment. The emergence and biomass of threelobe morningglory seedlings, however, were not influenced by residue amounts. The use of residue also increased the time taken to reach 50% of maximum emergence for some species, for example, spiny amaranth and Chinese sprangletop. The results of our study suggest that the use of residue at high rates can help suppress seedling emergence and growth of many weeds. However, there is a need to integrate other weed management strategies with residue retention to achieve season-long weed control.

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A Comparison of Alternative Weed Management Strategies for Field-grown Specialty Cut Flowers in Maine

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.30.4.865c ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 30 (4) ◽

pp. 865C-865

Author(s):

Diana George Chapin ◽

Lois Berg Stack

Keyword(s):

Weed Control ◽

Weed Management ◽

Material Selection ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Bare Soil ◽

Weed Suppression ◽

First Year ◽

Plastic Mulch ◽

Hand Control ◽

Economic Analyses

A 2-year field study was initiated in May 1994 to show the effects of alternative weed control methods on weed suppression and cut flower yield. Cultural and economic analyses evaluate the feasibility of various management decisions. Gomphrena globosa cv. Woodcreek Pink seedlings were transplanted at 12-inch spacings with the following treatments: 10 mm chopped straw mulch, 10 mm shredded paper mulch, 1.25 mm black plastic mulch, bare soil with postemergent herbicide (Glyphosate) and bare soil with hand weed control. First-year results of the study show weed control was statistically equal between plastic, herbicide, and hand control. These methods provided significantly better barriers to weed growth than shredded paper and oat straw. Economic analyses show variation in the cost efficiency of these methods, however. It is expected that the results of the first year will be corroborated in 1995 for the herbicide, hand control, and plastic treatments, but will reflect change in the chopped straw and shredded paper treatments due to improved focus on experimental design and material selection.

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Managing glyphosate-resistant weeds with cover crop associated with herbicide rotation and mixture

Ciência e Agrotecnologia ◽

10.1590/1413-70542018424017918 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 42 (4) ◽

pp. 381-394 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Aroldo Marochi ◽

Antonio Ferreira ◽

Hudson Kagueyama Takano ◽

Rubem Silvério Oliveira Junior ◽

Ramiro Fernando Lopez Ovejero

Keyword(s):

Weed Management ◽

Cover Crop ◽

Management Practices ◽

Crop Residues ◽

Production Systems ◽

Cropping Systems ◽

Soil Surface ◽

Weed Suppression ◽

Suppression Effect ◽

Herbicide Programs

ABSTRACT Herbicide resistance has become a major concern for agricultural systems, and integrating weed management practices seem to be the most promise way for its mitigation. The effects of cropping systems including ruzigrass (Urochloa ruziziensis) associated with herbicide rotation programs were evaluated for the management of glyphosate resistant conyza (Conyza sumatrensis) and sourgrass (Digitaria insularis) in soybean and corn production systems. A 3x3 factorial was evaluated in four consecutive soybean (spring-summer) and corn (fall-winter) double cropping seasons. Factor A consisted of three combinations of cropping systems in the fall-winter: corn, corn plus ruzigrass, and ruzigrass alone. Factor B was based on increasing levels of diversity in herbicide mode of action over the four-year period (5, 8, and 11 MoAs). The results indicate that using ruzigrass significantly increased soil coverage by cover crop residues. In general, the cover crop was more efficient for conyza than for sourgrass control, whereas herbicide programs provided greater control on sourgrass than on conyza. Besides the weed suppression effect, the accumulation of ruzigrass biomass on the soil surface during the fall-winter also improved yield of soybean in the spring-summer. The integration of ruzigrass as a cover crop and the use of herbicide programs with multiple modes of action can provide efficient control of glyphosate-resistant conyza and sourgrass. The use of only one of these strategies was not effective in most cases, especially for the long term.

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Weed Management Practices to Improve Establishment of Selected Lignocellulosic Crops

Energies ◽

10.3390/en14092478 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (9) ◽

pp. 2478

Author(s):

Ioannis Gazoulis ◽

Panagiotis Kanatas ◽

Panayiota Papastylianou ◽

Alexandros Tataridas ◽

Efthymia Alexopoulou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Weed Control ◽

Weed Management ◽

Sweet Sorghum ◽

Management Practices ◽

Cultural Practices ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Perennial Grasses ◽

Giant Reed ◽

Growth Stages ◽

Giant Miscanthus

Lignocellulosic biomass is one of the dominant renewable energy resources suited for the production of sustainable biofuels and other energy purposes. This study was focused on weed management strategies that can improve the establishment of six lignocellulosic crops. The studied crops included: giant miscanthus, switchgrass, giant reed, cardoon, sweet sorghum, and kenaf. Delayed planting, increased planting densities, and mulching techniques can suppress weeds in giant miscanthus. Weed competition is detrimental for switchgrass establishment. Seedbed preparation and cultivar selection can determine its ability to compete with weeds. Giant reed is unlikely to get outcompeted by weeds, and any weed control operation is required only for the first growing season. Competitive cultivars and increased seeding rates maximize the competitiveness of cardoon against weeds. Several cultural practices can be used for non-chemical weed management in sweet sorghum and kenaf. For all crops, pre-emergence herbicides can be applied. The available safe post-emergence herbicides are limited. Mechanical weed control during crucial growth stages can provide solutions for sweet sorghum, kenaf, and perennial grasses. Further research is required to develop effective weed management strategies, with emphasis on cultural practices, that can improve the establishment of these prominent lignocellulosic crops.

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Weed Management in Asian Vegetable Cropping Systems

Weed Science ◽

10.1017/s004317450005565x ◽

1980 ◽

Vol 28 (4) ◽

pp. 445-451 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

R. D. William ◽

M. Y. Chiang

Keyword(s):

Weed Management ◽

Crop Production ◽

Management Practices ◽

Climatic Factors ◽

Cropping Systems ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Cropping System ◽

Competitive Balance ◽

Weed Communities ◽

Control Technologies

In tropical and subtemperate regions of the world, farmers plant vegetables and other crops in a vast array of cropping systems that often involve more than one crop being grown on the same parcel of land in a year. Weed communities within each cropping system shift depending on physical and climatic factors and the specific crop and weed management practices employed. Modern weed management strategies involve combinations of crop production practices and specific weed control technologies intended to reduce weed competition, thereby shifting the competitive balance in favor of the crop. Weed research and, training efforts, therefore, must focus on the entire cropping system with emphasis on year-round and multi-year management of weed communities.

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Weed Management in Small Grains Harvested for Grain

EDIS ◽

10.32473/edis-wg009-2020 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2020 (3) ◽

Author(s):

Jason Ferrell ◽

Gregory MacDonald ◽

Pratap Devkota

Keyword(s):

Weed Control ◽

Weed Management ◽

Chemical Control ◽

Management Practices ◽

Good Management ◽

Small Grains ◽

Crop Competition

Successful weed control in small grains involves using good management practices in all phases of production. In Florida, winter weeds compete with small grains for moisture, nutrients, and light, with the greatest amount of competition occurring during the first six to eight weeks after planting. Weeds also cause harvest problems the following spring when the small grain is mature. This 4-page publication discusses crop competition, knowing your weeds, and chemical control. Written by J. A. Ferrell, G. E. MacDonald, and P. Devkota, and published by the UF/IFAS Agronomy Department, revised May 2020.

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Weed Management in Peanuts

EDIS ◽

10.32473/edis-wg008-2020 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2020 (3) ◽

Author(s):

Pratap Devkota

Keyword(s):

Weed Control ◽

Weed Management ◽

Management Practices ◽

Application Rate ◽

Good Management ◽

Peanut Production

Successful weed control in peanuts involves use of good management practices in all phases of peanut production. This 11-page document lists herbicide products registered for use in Florida peanut production, their mode of actions group, application rate per acre and per season, and reentry interval. It also discusses the performance of these herbicides on several weeds under Florida conditions. Written by J. A. Ferrell, G. E. MacDonald, and P. Devkota, and published by the UF/IFAS Agronomy Department, revised May 2020.

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