Ecological Weed Management in Agricultural Systems

Ecological weed management harnesses interactions among crops, weeds and the wider environment to regulate undesirable plants rather than eradicate them. This approach integrates cultural, mechanical, biological and minimal chemical measures to maintain weed populations below harmful thresholds while preserving soil health and biodiversity. Key principles include diversifying crop rotations, selecting competitive cultivars, adjusting sowing dates and densities, and employing cover crops or intercropping to suppress weeds through resource competition and canopy shading. By focusing on system‐level design—manipulating disturbance regimes, nutrient availability and habitat complexity—ecological strategies reduce reliance on herbicides, curb resistance development and enhance resilience of agroecosystems across diverse climatic and socio-economic contexts.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have demonstrated that reducing herbicide inputs by up to 50% can maintain yields in winter wheat while preserving rare plant species. Bayesian modelling across multiple fields revealed that herbicides target less abundant species more effectively than dominant weeds, suggesting that lower chemical use could simultaneously promote weed biodiversity and secure crop production. These findings support a transition towards reduced reliance on chemicals within intensive farming systems, highlighting potential co-benefits for food security and conservation.

Ecological Weed Management in Agricultural Systems publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in ecological weed management in agricultural systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Agroecosystem: An ecosystem managed for agricultural production, encompassing crop plants, associated organisms and environmental factors.

Integrated Weed Management (IWM): A holistic strategy combining cultural, mechanical, biological and chemical tactics to regulate weed populations sustainably.

Seed bank: The viable reserve of weed seeds present in soil layers, comprising germinable and persistent fractions that determine future weed emergence.

Crop competitiveness: The ability of a crop variety to suppress weed growth through traits such as rapid canopy closure and resource uptake efficiency.

Herbicide resistance: The heritable capability of weed populations to survive herbicide applications at recommended rates, often arising from repeated use of similar modes of action.

References

1. Weed-induced crop yield loss: a new paradigm and new challenges. Trends in Plant Science (2023).
2. Weed seed bank response during the early conversion period to less intensive tillage systems. Soil and Tillage Research (2024).
3. An ecological future for weed science to sustain crop production and the environment. A review. Agronomy for Sustainable Development (2020).
4. Integrated Weed Management in Herbaceous Field Crops. Agronomy (2020).
5. Does diversifying crop rotations suppress weeds? A meta-analysis. PLOS ONE (2019).
6. A review of the potential for competitive cereal cultivars as a tool in integrated weed management. Weed Research (2015).
7. Weed-Species Abundance and Diversity Indices in Relation to Tillage Systems and Fertilization. Frontiers in Environmental Science (2018).
8. Herbicides do not ensure for higher wheat yield, but eliminate rare plant species. Scientific Reports (2016).