Crop Diversification for Improved Weed Management: A Review

Gourav Sharma, Swati Shrestha, Sudip Kunwar and Te-Ming Tseng
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Gourav Sharma: School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
Swati Shrestha: Department of Horticultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
Sudip Kunwar: Department of Horticultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
Te-Ming Tseng: Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS 39762, USA

Agriculture, 2021, vol. 11, issue 5, 1-17

Abstract: Weeds are among the major constraints to any crop production system, reducing productivity and profitability. Herbicides are among the most effective methods to control weeds, and reliance on herbicides for weed control has increased significantly with the advent of herbicide-resistant crops. Unfortunately, over-reliance on herbicides leads to environmental-health issues and herbicide-resistant weeds, causing human health and ecological concerns. Crop diversification can help manage weeds sustainably in major crop production systems. It acts as an organizing principle under which technological innovations and ecological insights can be combined to manage weeds sustainably. Diversified cropping can be defined as the conscious inclusion of functional biodiversity at temporal and/or spatial levels to improve the productivity and stability of ecosystem services. Crop diversification helps to reduce weed density by negatively impacting weed seed germination and weed growth. Additionally, diversified farming systems are more resilient to climate change than monoculture systems and provide better crop yield. However, there are a few challenges to adopting a diversified cropping system, ranging from technology innovations, government policies, farm-level decisions, climate change, and market conditions. In this review, we discuss how crop diversification supports sustainable weed management, the challenges associated with it, and the future of weed management with respect to the diversification concept.

Keywords: herbicide resistance; crop diversification; intercropping; crop rotation; cover crops; sustainable; weeds; climate change (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (14)

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