Agricultural Weed Research: A Critique and Two Proposals

Abstract

Two broad aims drive weed science research: improved management and improved understanding of weed biology and ecology. In recent years, agricultural weed research addressing these two aims has effectively split into separate subdisciplines despite repeated calls for greater integration. Although some excellent work is being done, agricultural weed research has developed a very high level of repetitiveness, a preponderance of purely descriptive studies, and has failed to clearly articulate novel hypotheses linked to established bodies of ecological and evolutionary theory. In contrast, invasive plant research attracts a diverse cadre of nonweed scientists using invasions to explore broader and more integrated biological questions grounded in theory. We propose that although studies focused on weed management remain vitally important, agricultural weed research would benefit from deeper theoretical justification, a broader vision, and increased collaboration across diverse disciplines. To initiate change in this direction, we call for more emphasis on interdisciplinary training for weed scientists, and for focused workshops and working groups to develop specific areas of research and promote interactions among weed scientists and with the wider scientific community.

Morphological Characterization of <i>Amaranthus palmeri</i> x <i>A. spinosus</i> Hybrids

“…These consequences of hybridization have not been extensively investigated in the Amaranthus hybrids. Thus, it is important to perform weed biology experiments for any weed species exhibiting resistance or undergoing hybridization [11]. …”

An ecological perspective on managing weeds during the great selection for herbicide resistance

“…This network of connected factors can include positive as well as negative feedback loops that may accelerate or inhibit changes to weed population dynamics. Thus, an important research goal for weed science in the coming decades is to learn how to create cropping systems that exert shifting, unpredictable selection pressures, disrupting rather than exacerbating the evolution of problematic weed traits . Applying a diversified, but spatiotemporally invariant, suite of weed management tactics is insufficient to prevent any one weed species complex from getting too comfortable.…”

Transdisciplinary weed research: new leverage on challenging weed problems?

“…Communities of practice are groups of persons who share some goal and interact on an ongoing basis to accelerate mutual progress towards that goal via learning (Wenger, ). Given the strong interest in expanding the scope of weed and pest‐management research (Davis et al ., ; Allen et al ., ; Schut et al ., ; Ward et al ., ), we expect that a community of practice could readily be formed under the auspices of one of the weed research professional organisations, similar to the interest‐based ‘communities’ that are supported by the American Society of Agronomy (ASA, ). We envision that TWR could proceed by convening participants in a range of TWR projects.…”

“…Such problems include (but are not restricted to) herbicide resistance (Jussaume & Ervin, ), invasive crops or perennial weeds in tropical smallholder agriculture (e.g. Davis et al ., ; Allen et al ., ; Schut et al ., ; Ward et al ., ; Jordan & Davis, ). All of these observers call for weed research to continue to expand by engagement with a wide range of scholarly disciplines and societal stakeholders.…”