Skip to main content
ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #62765

Title: TILLAGE SYSTEMS AND WEED POPULATION DYNAMICS AND MANAGEMENT

Author
item Buhler, Douglas - Doug

Submitted to: Advances in Soil Science
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/1/1996
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The composition and density of weed communities of arable land are a reflection of the agronomic practices. Reducing tillage in crop production changes the environment where weeds are managed, survive, and reproduce. The shift from tillage systems that include extensive annual soil disturbance to systems that minimize soil disturbance will cause major changes in weed population dynamics. These changes often contribute to reduced effectiveness of weed control practices. Reduced herbicide efficacy has slowed adoption because many conservation tillage systems rely heavily on herbicides for weed control. The poor understanding of weed population dynamics in combination with herbicide dependance often results in increased herbicide use in conservation compared to conventional tillage systems. While results have varied among experiments, some general trends in weed population dynamics in conservation tillage systems have arisen. These include increased populations of perennial, summer annual grass, biennial, and winter annual species. Densities of large-seeded dicot species often decrease with decreasing tillage. The ecological and management aspects of these changes are varied and complex. Effective, economical, and environmentally-sound weed management in conservation tillage systems over the long term will require integration of new information with established principles of weed management. New technologies must be developed to deal with the altered ecosystems created by conservation tillage production systems. Current knowledge indicates that many weed species and weed control tactics behave differently as tillage is reduced or eliminated.