Recent Weed Control, Weed Management, and Integrated Weed Management

• Published in: Weed technology 2013-01, Vol.27 (1), p.1-11
• Main Authors: Harker, K. Neil, O'Donovan, John T
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agricultural management; Alternative weed control; Alternatives; arable soils; biological control; Biology; chemical control; chemical weed control; Chemicals; crop production; Crop rotation; Cropping systems; cultural weed control; Discipline; Ecology; EDITORIAL; environmental impact; evolution; farms; herbicide-resistant weeds; Herbicides; integrated cropping systems; integrated pest management; integrated weed management; management systems; methodology; physical weed control; population; preventative weed control; R&D; Research & development; Research methods; Research universities; Science; scientists; Studies; Sustainable agriculture; Technology; Weed control; weed resistance to herbicides; Weed science; Weeds
• ISSN: 0890-037X; 1550-2740
• DOI: 10.1614/wt-d-12-00109.1

Integrated weed management (IWM) can be defined as a holistic approach to weed management that integrates different methods of weed control to provide the crop with an advantage over weeds. It is practiced globally at varying levels of adoption from farm to farm. IWM has the potential to restrict weed populations to manageable levels, reduce the environmental impact of individual weed management practices, increase cropping system sustainability, and reduce selection pressure for weed resistance to herbicides. There is some debate as to whether simple herbicidal weed control programs have now shifted to more diverse IWM cropping systems. Given the rapid evolution and spread of herbicide-resistant weeds and their negative consequences, one might predict that IWM research would currently be a prominent activity among weed scientists. Here we examine the level of research activity dedicated to weed control techniques and the assemblage of IWM techniques in cropping systems as evidenced by scientific paper publications from 1995 to June 1, 2012. Authors from the United States have published more weed and IWM-related articles than authors from any other country. When IWM articles were weighted as a proportion of country population, arable land, or crop production, authors from Switzerland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Australia, and Canada were most prominent. Considerable evidence exists that research on nonherbicidal weed management strategies as well as strategies that integrate other weed management systems with herbicide use has increased. However, articles published on chemical control still eclipse any other weed management method. The latter emphasis continues to retard the development of weed science as a balanced discipline. El manejo integrado de malezas (IWM) puede ser definido como un enfoque holístico del manejo de malezas que integra diferentes métodos de control para brindar al cultivo una ventaja sobre las malezas. Esto es practicado globalmente con niveles de adopción que varían de finca a finca. El IWM tiene el potencial de restringir las poblaciones de malezas a niveles manejables, reducir el impacto ambiental de prácticas individuales de manejo de malezas, incrementar la sostenibilidad de los sistemas de cultivos y reducir la presión de selección sobre la resistencia a herbicidas de las malezas. Existe cierto debate acerca de si programas de control de malezas basados simplemente en herbicidas, ahora se han convertido a sistemas de cultivo