Weed management for healthy crop production

Abstract

This chapter deals with the potential, limitation, and impacts of the recent trend of changing agricultural practices induced by predicated climatic changes on weed management in crop production systems. Change in the agricultural practices from conventional to conservation agriculture has to some extent compromised the sustainability and productivity of cropping systems through the evolution of herbicide-resistant (HR) weed species, a shift in weed populations, and human and environmental hazards. The chapter assesses the potential challenges faced by regarding the overreliance of herbicides, with the introduction of herbicide-tolerant (HT) crops and possible recommendation of how healthy crop production can be achieved through sustainable weed management. The first section deals with the potential constraints associated with weed management in cropping system focusing the main driving factors, such as changing agricultural practices and climate change, socio-economic constraints. Possible strategies to improve weed management, focusing on the importance of promoting IWM strategies and best management practices for HT crops, have been discussed in the second section. The third section shares a series of recommendation for future research directions for sustainable and profitable weed management.