Description
Book SynopsisThis collection features five peer-reviewed reviews on weed management in regenerative agriculture.
The first chapter provides an analytical review of the adoption of Conservation Agriculture (CA) in Sub-Saharan Africa by smallholder farmers, focusing on the challenges posed by weed management. The chapter assesses chemical and non-chemical weed control methods and their benefits in CA systems.
The second chapter considers the adoption of integrated weed management (IWM) in organic cropping systems, focussing on the key challenges that can arise as a result of this adoption. It also presents examples of successful integration between preventive, cultural and direct tactics in an IWM strategy.
The third chapter highlights an increasing need for IWM strategies in the face of herbicide-resistant weeds, soil degradation and environmental contamination by herbicides. The chapter reviews the cultural techniques available to manage weeds in a sustainable manner.
The fourth chapter introduces the concept of using crop rotations and cover crops as an effective and sustainable strategy for controlling weeds and looks ahead to future research in this area.
The final chapter utilises four detailed case studies from across Europe to illustrate the effectiveness of combined methods to control weeds and preserve/improve farmers’ income.
Table of ContentsChapter 1 - Weed management practices and benefits in Conservation Agriculture systems: Gottlieb Basch and Fernando Teixeira, University of Évora, Portugal; and Sjoerd W. Duiker, Penn State University, USA; 1 Introduction 2 Weed control under CA 3 Smallholder farmers’ strategies for weed control in developing countries: sub-Saharan Africa 4 Future trends 5 Conclusion 6 Where to look for further information 7 References
Chapter 2 - Integrated weed management in organic cropping systems: Paolo Bàrberi, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Italy; 1 Introduction 2 Key weed management challenges: intra-row weed control 3 Key weed management challenges: problematic weeds and weed management in reduced- and no-till organic systems 4 Integrated weed management and sustainable organic crop production 5 Future trends 6 Where to look for further information 7 References
Chapter 3 - Cultural techniques to manage weeds: Matt Liebman, Iowa State University, USA; 1 Introduction 2 Crop population density 3 Crop spatial arrangement 4 Sowing time and transplanting 5 Choice of crop genotype and breeding for competitive and allelopathic abilities 6 Mulching 7 Soil fertility management 8 Irrigation and flooding: depth, timing and placement 9 Effects of combining multiple practices: examples of ‘many little hammers’ at work 10 Future trends in research 11 Summary 12 Where to look for further information 13 References
Chapter 4 - The use of rotations and cover crops to manage weeds: John R. Teasdale, ARS-USDA, USA; 1 Introduction 2 Crop rotation in weed management 3 Cover crops in weed management 4 Opportunities for weed establishment within rotations 5 Conclusion 6 Future trends 7 Where to look for further information 8 References
Chapter 5 - Optimising integrated weed management in narrow-row crops: L. Bonin, ARVALIS-Institut du Végétal, France; R. Leskovšek, Agricultural Institute of Slovenia, Slovenia; C. Moonen, Institute of Life Science, Italy; W. Smith, NIAB, UK; and M. Sønderskov, Aarhus University, Denmark; 1 Introduction 2 Cropping system diversification 3 Cultivar choice and establishment 4 Field and soil management 5 Direct control 6 Case studies 7 Where to look for further information 8 References
