Weed Management in Conservation Agriculture Systems

There remains considerable uncertainty surrounding the future of effective weed control in agriculture, particularly due to the environmental impact of herbicides, as well as increasing levels of herbicide resistance. In Conservation Agriculture (CA) systems where ploughing has been replaced with no-tillage systems, weed management without reliance on herbicides has proven to be even more challenging.

Weed management in Conservation Agriculture systems reviews the range of alternative, non-chemical methods of weed control which can be implemented to improve the productivity and sustainability of CA. These methods include cultural and biological techniques such as cover crop roller crimping, mechanical weeding and thermal weed control. The book also assesses ways of optimising weed control in perennial, horticultural and other crops.

With its detailed exploration of weed management in specific production systems, as well as the range of weed management techniques available, the book provides its readers with the means necessary to implement more sustainable methods of weed control that protect both yields and the environment.

• Considers how weed management can be optimised in an array of different production systems, including perennial Conservation Agriculture (CA) systems and organic CA systems

• Provides a comprehensive overview of the recent research on the use of cultural and physical weed management techniques in CA systems, such as the use of allelopathy, cover crops and mechanical weeding

• Reviews the range of chemical and biological weed management techniques available to CA farmers, including the use of bioherbicides and other emerging methods of biological control