Review: How will climate change impact the ‘many little hammers’ of ecological weed management?
2021
Birthisel, Sonja Katherine | Clements, Ruth S. | Gallandt, Eric R.
Increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations [CO₂] and climate change are impacting farming worldwide. Ecological weed management (EWM) principles, including use of diverse tactics already employed by many farmers, may assist in adapting to and mitigating climate change. We systematically reviewed the literature on EWM and climate change and here summarise practical considerations related to changing efficacy and utility of non‐chemical EWM practices. Localised changes in precipitation will affect tillage and cultivation. We expect that mulching, transplanting and some weed seedbank management strategies, which add resiliency to a weed management programme, may show increased utility in a future with more extreme and variable weather. Innovations in autonomous robotic weeding technologies and cultivation tool design show promise in helping to overcome challenges related to low and variable cultivation efficacy and traditionally slow working rates. EWM practices that help farmers achieve multiple objectives and provide benefits beyond climate change adaptation, such as financial gains, may be most advantageous, the development of which could be facilitated by interdisciplinary research and outreach efforts. Overall, we conclude that in an increasingly variable climate, farmers will have to employ a greater diversity of weed management tactics in order to spread risk and enable climate resilience through farming systems diversification.
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