Revisiting cropping systems research: An ecological framework towards long-term weed management

Abstract

CONTEXTCropping systems experiments are considered vital in devising sustainable weed management strategies. Many cropping systems studies were carried out to integrate several crop production practices that were previously tested in conventional small plot experiments and have agronomic objectives rather than weed management. Most cropping systems research lacks a research framework that enables an understanding of weed dynamics and provides sustainable weed management solutions. OBJECTIVESThis study aims to identify the prevailing limitations in most cropping systems research towards weed management and synthesize a common framework to conduct cropping systems experiments within an ecological framework. The inability to understand the mechanisms of weed suppression due to the diversity of agronomic practices in cropping systems, the inability to produce generalized conclusions, the limitations of statistical procedures to understand temporal weed dynamics and the inability to predict future weed dynamics due to lack of focus on weed persistence can be some of the fundamental limitations in most cropping systems research in weed management. METHODSTo overcome these limitations, we synthesized an ecological framework to design and analyze cropping systems research using some of the existing ecological theories. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSThe four pillars of the framework are 1. quantification of ecological functionality of cropping systems, 2. understanding the effect of cropping systems on weed functional traits. 3. understanding the weed seed persistence, and finally, 4. determining weed temporal dynamics. Others already have identified the first two pillars, but we suggest modifications and address the research gaps to apply them to broader cropping systems. In short, our framework includes defining cropping systems using resource gradients and disturbance gradients to quantify cropping systems diversity, use of plant and seed functional traits to understand and predict weed dynamics and statistical approaches to understanding the temporal dynamics to realize both stochastic and deterministic processes that determine weed dynamics. SIGNIFICANCEThis proposed ecological framework will facilitate better design and analysis of cropping systems research by improving our understanding of how different cropping system components collectively and individually influence weed dynamics and how to utilize knowledge from cropping systems research to design cropping systems for better weed management.