Weeds biodiversity: Challenges and opportunity in current context

Abstract

In agro-ecosystems, different crops have a strong connection to biodiversity in the landscape. Weed density and behaviour pattern in our eco-system directly influence crop cultivation aspect. Weed biodiversity play a significant function in maintaining the processes and functions of ecosystems, including farming.Changes in climatic factors would alter the nature of vegetation and agriculture and it is true especially with the increasing atmospheric CO2 concentration.While the variability in plant responses is large, C3 weeds generally increased their biological yield and LAI, under higher CO2 concentrations compared with C4 weeds. However, the feasibility of crop pattern should be assessed not only in terms of crop yield but also adequate levels of biodiversity within cropland. Agricultural practices, which vary according to local climate, cause a disturbance to the agro-ecosystem, and change the dynamics of the weed community, creating ecological niches. Weed biodiversity plays a key role in supporting food webs and ecosystem services in agro-ecosystems. Weed miscellany provide ecosystem services for the upper trophic levels in crop land ecosystems. Pattern of distribution of the weed community (abundance and richness) are often difficult to predict so monitoring changes is recognized as crucial both in stable and unstable environments.

Phytocoenology Study of Weeds of Rice Crop with Edaphic Variation: An Analysis from Jhargram, West Bengal, India

“…Certain plant families, such as Asteraceae, Brassicaceae, Solanaceae and Poaceae, are known to dominate weed populations in cultivated areas. With over 15,000 weed species identified globally, more than 41 of them are particularly harmful to crops (Mukherjee, 2021). Weeds are formidable adversaries to crops, as they compete for essential resources like space, water, nutrients, and light, ultimately reducing the yield and quality of agricultural produce (Kumar et al, 2023).…”