Integrating crop management and crop rotation effects into models of weed population dynamics: a review

Abstract

Current weed demography models were reviewed to evaluate how the effects of cultural practices on weed dynamics were integrated into the models and to suggest possible ways to improve the simulation of cropping system effects. Several models were chosen to illustrate the interactions between cropping systems and weed dynamics. The first one described the structure of the weed life cycle. The second model integrated the effects of a wide set of cultural practices; the comparison of this example with other models suggested how the integration of cropping system effects could be improved. The last two models introduced the interactions of cultural practices with intraplot weed variability, either spatial variability of weed densities or genetic and phenotypic variability within weed populations. This review indicates some ways to make weed population models more comprehensive, robust, and accurate in order to improve their contribution to the evaluation and management of cropping systems.