Opportunities and challenges for harvest weed seed control in global cropping systems

Abstract

The opportunity to target weed seeds during grain harvest was established many decades ago following the introduction of mechanical harvesting and the recognition of high weed-seed retention levels at crop maturity; however, this opportunity remained largely neglected until more recently. The introduction and adoption of harvest weed seed control (HWSC) systems in Australia has been in response to widespread occurrence of herbicide-resistant weed populations. With diminishing herbicide resources and the need to maintain highly productive reduced tillage and stubble-retention practices, growers began to develop systems that targeted weed seeds during crop harvest. Research and development efforts over the past two decades have established the efficacy of HWSC systems in Australian cropping systems, where widespread adoption is now occurring. With similarly dramatic herbicide resistance issues now present across many of the world's cropping regions, it is timely for HWSC systems to be considered for inclusion in weed-management programs in these areas. This review describes HWSC systems and establishing the potential for this approach to weed control in several cropping regions. As observed in Australia, the inclusion of HWSC systems can reduce weed populations substantially reducing the potential for weed adaptation and resistance evolution. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Gene drive systems: do they have a place in agricultural weed management?

“…Other intriguing possibilities for sensitizing drives can be imagined. Recently, weed control technologies that target and destroy mature weed seeds, limiting seed bank replenishment, have been developed . These technologies rely on the retention of weed seeds on mature plants at the time of crop harvest to enable their collection, removal and/or destruction.…”

“…Recently, weed control technologies that target and destroy mature weed seeds, limiting seed bank replenishment, have been developed. 42 These technologies rely on the retention of weed seeds on mature plants at the time of crop harvest to enable their collection, removal and/or destruction. For some species, such as the major annual grass weed of north-west Europe, Alopecurus myosuroides, early seed shattering limits the potential for these approaches.…”

Looking beyond the jug: Non‐chemical weed seedbank management

“…Commercial combine harvesters increase contribution to the weed seedbank from weeds like Palmer amaranth, which has seeds that are retained through harvest (Lazaro et al, 2017). This peak in seedbank contribution also presents an opportunity to reduce weed‐seed retention through a low‐cost and highly effective combine adjustment, as an alternative to herbicides (Walsh et al, 2017).…”

Introduction to Pest Management Science special issue for GHRC 2017

“…An educational game for teaching about herbicide resistance is presented . A special symposium on Harvest Weed Seed Control (HWSC) sponsored by the Grains Research and Development Corporation of Australia included presentations on weed seed retention at harvest and potential for HWSC techniques in multiple cropping systems from around the globe, and the opportunities and challenges for HWSC in multiple cropping systems are reviewed by Walsh et al …”