Technology is rapidly advancing in all areas of society, including agriculture. In both conventional and organic systems, there is a need to apply technology beyond our current approach to improve the efficiency and economics of management. Weeds, in particular, have been part of cropping systems for centuries often being ranked as the number one production cost. Now, public demand for a sustainably grown product has created economic incentives for producers to improve their practices, yet the development of advanced weed control tools beyond biotech has lagged behind. An opportunity has been created for engineers and weed scientists to pool their knowledge and work together to ‘fill the gap’ in managing weeds in crops. Never before has there been such pressure to produce more with less in order to sustain our economies and environments. This book is the first to provide a radically new approach to weed management that could change cropping systems both now and in the future.

This book presents principles and practices for ecologically based weed management in a wide range of temperate and tropical farming systems. Special attention is given to the evolutionary challenges that weeds pose and the roles that farmers can play in the development of new weed-management strategies.

Non-Chemical Weed Control is the first book to present an overview of plant crop protection against non-food plants using non-chemical means. Plants growing wild—particularly unwanted plants found in cultivated ground to the exclusion of the desired crop—have been treated with herbicides and chemical treatments in the past. As concern over environmental, food and consumer safety increases, research has turned to alternatives, including the use of cover crops, thermal treatments and biotechnology to reduce and eliminate unwanted plants. This book provides insight into existing and emerging alternative crop protection methods and includes lessons learned from past methodologies. As crop production resources decline while consumer concerns over safety increase, the effective control of weeds is imperative to insure the maximum possible levels of soil, sunlight and nutrients reach the crop plants. - Allows reader to identify the most appropriate solution based on their individual use or case - Provides researchers, students and growers with current concepts regarding the use of modern, environment-friendly weed control techniques - Presents methods of weed management—an important part of integrated weed management in the future - Exploits the knowledge gained from past sustainable weed management efforts

Weeds hold an enigmatic and sometimes-controversial place in agriculture, where they are generally reviled, grudgingly tolerated, and occasionally admired. In most cases, growers make considerable effort to reduce the negative economic impact of weeds because they compete with crops for resources and hinder field operations, thereby affecting crop productivity and quality, and ultimately the sustainability of agriculture. Weed control in production agriculture is commonly achieved through the integration of chemical, biological, and mechanical management methods. Chemicals (herbicides) usually inhibit the growth and establishment of weed plants by interfering with various physiological and biochemical pathways. Biological methods include crop competition, smother crops, rotation crops, and allelopathy, as well as specific insect predators and plant pathogens. Mechanical methods encompass an array of tools from short handled hoes to sophisticated video-guided robotic machines. Integrating these technologies, in order to relieve the negative impacts of weeds on crop production in a way that allows growers to optimize profits and preserve human health and the environment, is the science of weed management.

Resistance to conventional pesticides has been growing rapidly among all pests. Furthermore, there is increased public concern about the safety of conventional pesticides, and increased governmental restrictions have resulted in the need to identify new compounds that are safe and effective in controlling pests that are of concern to agriculture as well as to public and animal health. Biopesticides may aid in the control of such pests with fewer deleterious effects to the environment, people and animals. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines biopesticides as "pesticides derived from such natural materials as animals, plants, bacteria, and certain minerals" (www.epa.gov). According to the U.S. EPA's website in 2014 there were more than 430 registered biopesticides along with 1320 active product registrations. Biopesticides have seen a recent growth, which is partially due to increased advances in biotechnological tools for pest control. However, the growth has been largely spurred by the growing needs for new tools to fight pesticide resistance and safer and more benign means of pest management. This volume and the chapters contained within it resulted from the "Biopesticides: State of the Art and Future Opportunities" symposium held at the 246th ACS National Meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana, September 8-12, 2013. The symposium was comprised of 38 papers in five sessions: The Big Picture, Repellents and Attractants, Insecticides and Nematicides, Products from Genetic Improvements, and Economic, Regulatory and Future Needs. Biopesticides: State of the Art and Future Opportunities offers a wealth of information that will enrich the knowledge of experts in the field of biopesticide research.

According to Prof. D. Despommier, by the year 2050, nearly 80% of the earth's population will reside in urban centers. Furthermore, the human population will increase by about 3 billion people during the interim. New land will be needed to grow enough food to feed them. At present, throughout the world, over 80% of the land that is suitable for raising crops is in use. What can be done to avoid this impending disaster? One possible solution is indoor farming. However, not all crops can easily be moved in an indoor environment. Nevertheless, to secure the food supply, it is necessary to increase the automation level in agriculture significantly. This book intends to provide the reader with a comprehensive overview of the impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and automation examples in agriculture.

The chapters of this book describe the physiological, population and community ecology of weeds within agroecosystems, with the goal of recognizing details of relevant approaches for better weed management