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Title: IMPLICACIONES DEL SISTEMS DE LABRANZ SOBRE EL MANEJO DE MALEZAS (ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN SPANISH)

Author
item Buhler, Douglas - Doug

Submitted to: Weed Biology, Ecology, and Management Textbook
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/4/1996
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 used. The trend towards 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 management. Our poor understanding of weed population dynamics in combination with the herbicide dependance of the system 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 have arisen as tillage is reduced. These include increased populations of perennial, summer annual grass, biennial, and winter annual species. Densities of large-seeded dicot species often decrease. 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.