Abstract
This chapter presents the principles of solar heating (SH; soil solarization) and its technological evolution. The underlying mechanism(s) involved in weed control is discussed, focusing on the seedbank deterioration processes. The factors involved in the success or failure of SH are summarized, which illustrates correlations between various factors and their influence on the response of SH-treated seedbank (tolerance or susceptibility). The factors are divided into two categories: SH factors which determine the soil environmental conditions affecting the seedbank deterioration and factors involved with the intrinsic characteristics of the seedbank, which determine seedbank persistence upon SH.