Integrated weed management in perennial woody crops

Abstract

Perennial woody crops span over a broad variety of species in Europe with olive and vine being the most cultivated tree crops. Nowadays, the increasing problem of herbicide resistance, the possible withdrawal of herbicides from the EU market and their effects on farmland biodiversity are driving a need to change weed control practices. Therefore, a combination of different weed management techniques is commonly used with the main goal being to maintain productivity, maximise water and nutrients availability for the trees and reduce chemical weed control. Case studies from Spain and United Kingdom are presented where practices such as tillage, mulch application, no-till systems with herbicide use and spontaneous/sown cover crops are applied. However, the most suitable integrated weed management (IWM) strategy will be influenced by location, soil type, crop features, topography, farmer preferences and climatic conditions.