Evolution of rice weed control practices and research: world perspective; Weeds of major economic importance in rice and yield lasses due to weed competition; Weed control practices as a component of rice production systems; Effects of hydrology, soil moisture regime, and fertility management on weed populations and their control in rice; Effects of stand establishment techniques on weed population in rice; The role of cropping systems on weeds in rice; Weed control technology in irrigated rice; Weed control technology in rainfed wetland rice; Importance rice weeds in Latin America; Weed control and rice production in Brazil.

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.

This research was designed and conducted through partnerships with national agricultural scientists. The primary objective was to listen to farmers and understand the various factors that constrain pest management decisions and practices on-farm.

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.