This review describes the differences in weed management that must be addressed when plastic culture is added to the production cycle. Three specific areas are addressed: weed management under plastic mulch, weed management between plastic mulch, and weed management under row covers.
Union, 2009a ). Sustainable farming management practices are also very important in terms of the cross-compliance direct support mechanism of the Common Agricultural Policy ( European Union, 2009b , 2009c ). Physical weed control in spinach is
Bioeconomic weed management models integrate the complex interactions of the biology of crops and weeds, efficacies and costs of chemical and mechanical weed control options, and commodity prices of crops. These models enable producers to customize weed management strategies so that weed control and crop yields are optimized while net economic returns are maximized. A prototype model, WEEDSIM, was developed (Swinton & King) for corn and soybean production. It was field-tested for two years in Minnesota. WEEDSIM's recommendations were agronomically equivalent to standard farmer practices, but they increased net financial returns and reduced chemical release to the environment. A new bioeconomic modeling “shell” has been developed (Wiles & King) to increase adaptability to new crops, weeds, control options, and production regions.
On behalf of the Weed Control and Pest Management Working Group (WCPM) of ASHS, I would like to thank Drs. William W. Kirk (Michigan State University), Andrea B. da Rocha (Santa Catarina State University, Brazil), Milton McGiffen, Jr. (University of
used for production of processed fruit. Trailing blackberries ripen in midsummer in Oregon and Washington and are usually machine-harvested ( Strik and Finn, 2012 ). Weed management is considered critical for good production in berry crops ( Barney et
Organic farmers need a diverse toolbox of weed management tactics. Tillage is currently the most common method of weed management in organic systems ( Baker and Mohler, 2015 ), but wet soil conditions, crop growth stage, and overuse can limit its
competition compared with established or mature vines ( Balerdi, 1972 ). Three weed management methods are generally used by grape growers: herbicide sprays, tillage, and/or cover crops. The majority of weed management in vineyards is focused within the vine
( Goldburg, 1992 ). Thus, research has been conducted with the goal of developing alternative integrated weed management techniques in potato and other vegetable cropping systems. Such techniques include changes in crop density ( Bussan et al., 2007 ; Conley
season-long weed control. However, sequential cultivations at regular intervals may provide the foundation for a successful integrated system of weed control in transplanted onion. To date, there has been no research on weed management in organic Vidalia
Organic weed management of vegetable crops typically includes a combination of crop rotation, tillage, hand weeding, mowing, and mulching with plastic films ( Baker and Mohler, 2015 ; Kasirajan and Ngouajio, 2012 ; Wang et al., 2008 ). However