Summary A long‐term study was conducted during 4 consecutive years to determine the effects of herbicides on the major demographic parameters and on the dynamics of the populations of Avena sterith ssp. ludoviciana (Durieu) Nyman growing in winter wheat crops in Central Spain. The three herbicides tested bad different effects on the life cycle of the plant. Tri‐allate was moderately effective in reducing seedling recruitment and seedling survivorship, but it resulted in adult fecundities similar to or higher than, those of the check plots. Difenzoquat was highly effective in reducing plant survivorship and it consistently reduced the reproductive capacity of the survivors. Flamprop‐isopropyl L was not very effective in reducing plant survivorship, but it had the largest influence on adult fecundity. Overall, although the three herbicides were able to reduce substantially (59–95%) the production of new seeds, large numbers of seeds were returned annually to the soil in all the treatments. The annual application of any of the three compounds during 4 consecutive years had a marked effect on the long‐term evolution of the populations of buried seeds in the soil, emerged seedlings, mature plants and new seeds produced. Continuous herbicide application resulted in a gradual depletion of the seed bank of A. sterilis in the soil. At the end of the 4‐year period, buried seed populations in the herbicide‐treated plots were (61–81%). lower than those at the beginning of the experiment, and 92–95% lower than those of the check plots at the same lime. However, the seed reserves present in the treated plots were Mill high enough to require some type of control programme.