Organic farming is increasing worldwide, but in many cropping systems, high yield is not always easy to obtain. The yield gap between conventional and organic farming, and organic agriculture’s contribution to world food production are both highly debated. It is essential both farming systems are highly productive to produce enough food to feed the world. One of the main constraints of organic farming is weed control. The absence of herbicides makes weed control more challenging and necessitates a deeper understanding of weed and crop biology to carefully plan different agronomic strategies. A holistic approach to optimize whole cropping systems, and the integration of different preventive and direct weed control techniques are essential to reduce weed pressure and enhance crop competitiveness.
The goal of this Research Topic is to publish articles related to weed management in organic agriculture in all cropping systems, with a focus on cultural (i.e. competitive varieties, cover crops, crop rotation, etc.), biological (allelopathic crops, natural herbicides, etc.) and mechanical techniques (i.e. tillage), and the combination of multiple strategies to control weeds. Innovative weed control methods, experiments on new techniques, and strategies proposed by farmers are also included in this Research Topic.
We welcome original research, methods papers, reviews, perspectives, and opinion articles connected to weed management in organic agriculture. Specific topics can include, but are not limited to:
• Use of cover crops to obstacle weed growth
• Enhancement of crop competition
• Cultivation of allelopathic plants and use of allelopathic compounds to control weeds
• Discovery of natural herbicides and their efficacy on weed control
• Mechanical weeding effectiveness
• Use of competitive crop varieties
• Agronomic factors influencing weed seedbank and weed growth in organic agriculture
• Crop and weed biodiversity
• Weed prevention techniques
• Living and dead mulching
• Thermal weed control (flame weeding, steaming, heat, solarization)
• Crop rotation
Organic farming is increasing worldwide, but in many cropping systems, high yield is not always easy to obtain. The yield gap between conventional and organic farming, and organic agriculture’s contribution to world food production are both highly debated. It is essential both farming systems are highly productive to produce enough food to feed the world. One of the main constraints of organic farming is weed control. The absence of herbicides makes weed control more challenging and necessitates a deeper understanding of weed and crop biology to carefully plan different agronomic strategies. A holistic approach to optimize whole cropping systems, and the integration of different preventive and direct weed control techniques are essential to reduce weed pressure and enhance crop competitiveness.
The goal of this Research Topic is to publish articles related to weed management in organic agriculture in all cropping systems, with a focus on cultural (i.e. competitive varieties, cover crops, crop rotation, etc.), biological (allelopathic crops, natural herbicides, etc.) and mechanical techniques (i.e. tillage), and the combination of multiple strategies to control weeds. Innovative weed control methods, experiments on new techniques, and strategies proposed by farmers are also included in this Research Topic.
We welcome original research, methods papers, reviews, perspectives, and opinion articles connected to weed management in organic agriculture. Specific topics can include, but are not limited to:
• Use of cover crops to obstacle weed growth
• Enhancement of crop competition
• Cultivation of allelopathic plants and use of allelopathic compounds to control weeds
• Discovery of natural herbicides and their efficacy on weed control
• Mechanical weeding effectiveness
• Use of competitive crop varieties
• Agronomic factors influencing weed seedbank and weed growth in organic agriculture
• Crop and weed biodiversity
• Weed prevention techniques
• Living and dead mulching
• Thermal weed control (flame weeding, steaming, heat, solarization)
• Crop rotation
