Ecological weed management in maize

Abstract

A trend to reduce pesticide use in Europe proposed by the European Commission , together with the lack of new active ingredients of herbicides available on the market and increasing number of herbicide resistance cases , made agricultural production being more challenged than ever . Therefore , adoption of integrated weed management and / or agro - ecological weed management into production systems could provide a solution for more environmental friendly weed management . Applying lower herbicide rates is still under the question , since they are registered to be used in certain , recommended rates , while public awareness demands a reduced application . However , applying reduced rates could lead to genetic pressure , i.e .. metabolic resistance occurrence in weeds . The literature reports the possibility of applying reduced herbicide rates in cases when weeds are susceptible and other weed management practices are implemented into the control system . From this standpoint , crop rotation opens the possibility to rotate and apply herbicides with different mode of actions , making a good practice for herbicide resistance mitigation . In this review , the positive effects of crop rotation and cover cropping as traditional and more sustainable methods for weed control will be highlighted . From this standpoint , long - term experiments in maize were discussed toward possibilities to reduce weed infestation levels , and the use and impact of chemical weed control [13:25, 24. 11. 2023.] Nata: the same time . Furthermore , cover crops are able to eliminate weeds at early stages of crop developments , thus affecting weeds the same way as herbicides . The results indicate the importance of the combined application of chemical and physical measures in maize production as part of IWM , protecting agro - ecosystem at the same time .