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

This book focuses on management strategies that respect human life and the environment and secure safe food production. Providing new insights in weed science, agronomy, horticulture and viticulture, agroecologists, environmental scientists and landscape managers.

Weeds pose a major challenge to the sustainability of agricultural production systems, causing significant crop yield, economic and environmental losses. Chemical weed control tactics play a major role in modern weed management, maintaining the productivity of diverse cropping systems, reducing yield losses and facilitating conservation agriculture. However, the over-reliance on chemical weed control has led to shifts in weed communities in agroecosystems which are now becoming dominated by high competitors and herbicide resistance. Thus, weed scientists and practitioners are urged to develop and incorporate innovative and feasible integrated weed management (IWM) systems that can reduce weed infestations and environmental impacts.

Weeds remain a major obstacle to improved yields in agriculture. At the same time, established methods of control are being undermined by problems such as herbicide resistance. This major collection reviews key developments in integrated weed management (IWM) to manage weeds more sustainably.

Weeds are the main biological constraint to crop production throughout the year. Uncontrolled weeds could cause 100% yield loss. In Australia, the overall cost of weeds to Australian grain growers was estimated at AU$ 3.3 billion annually. In terms of yield losses, weeds amounted to 2.7 million tonnes of grains at a national level. In the USA, weeds cost US$ 33 billion in lost crop production annually. In India, these costs were estimated to be much higher (US$ 11 billion). These studies from different economies suggest that weeds cause substantial yield and economic loss. Biology and Management of Problematic Weed Species details the biology of key weed species, providing vital information on seed germination and production, as well as factors affecting weed growth. These species include Chenopodium album, Chloris truncata and C. virgate, Conyza bonariensis and C. canadensis, Cyperus rotundus, and many more. This information is crucial for researchers and growers to develop integrated weed management (IWM) strategies. Written by leading experts across the globe, this book is an essential read to plant biologists and ecologists, crop scientists, and students and researchers interested in weed science. - Provides detailed information on the biology of different key weed species - Covers weed seed germination and emergence - Presents the factors affecting weed growth and seed production