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Title: IMPLICATIONS OF WEED SEED AND SEED BANK DYNAMICS TO WEED MANAGEMENT

Author
item Buhler, Douglas - Doug

Submitted to: Weed Science Society of America Meeting Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/5/1996
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The seed represents the end of the reproductive cycle and the beginnings of a new plant. The seed contains everything the plant needs for dispersal, survival, and germination of the next generation of plants. The soil acts as a medium for seed storage and regeneration of weedy plants and is the key element to the persistence of most annual weed species. The species composition and density of weed seed in the soil varies greatly, but is closely linked to the cropping history of the land. For example, tillage greatly influences the vertical distribution of weed seed in the soil. Changes in weed seed depth in the soil plays a role in weed species shift as tillage practices are altered and affect the efficacy of control practices. Crop rotation and weed control practices also impact the weed seed bank in the soil. Information on the weed seed bank may be a useful tool for integrated weed management. Decision aid models are being developed that use information on the composition of the weed seed bank to estimate weed populations and crop yield loss. This information is then used to recommend weed control tactics. Improving our understanding of weed seed and seed bank dynamics is essential to developing improved weed management systems. The principles of plant ecology must be integrated with the science of weed management to develop strategies that take advantage of basic plant responses in weed management systems for agronomic crops.