Weed Management by Cover Crops

Dear Colleagues,

Weeds cause the highest yield reductions among all pests, therefore they receive great attention of the producers. Chemical and mechanical weed control strategies are quite effective but also raise negative side effects such as environmental pollution, health issues, increased soil erosion and high production costs. Cover crops, as a method for biological weed control, have therefore gained in importance. The weed suppressive effects of cover crops, induced by competition and allelopathy, as well as the effects of cover crop mulches can contribute substantially to the reduction of weeds. Moreover, cover crop mixtures have recently become a promising practice in weed control due to their high resilience to environmental changes.

This special issue mainly focuses on original research and review papers that address the impact of cover crops on weeds. This includes investigations into the mechanism of weed suppression (competition, allelopathy) and the effect of cover crops and their mulch on weed abundance and communities. Studies dealing with crop yield after cover crop cultivation, should clearly identify the effects exerted by cover crops and their respective weed suppression potential. Research performed in growth chambers or germination assays are also welcome if the results are verified with field data. Manuscripts evaluating further aspects of weed suppression that can be clearly attributed to influences of cover crops such as weed seed predation, soil seed bank dynamics and cultural weed control are also encouraged.

Prof. Dr. Roland Gerhards
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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• Weed management
• Cover crops
• Cover crop mixtures
• Weed community
• Conservation agriculture
• Sustainable agriculture
• Biomass production
• Allelopathy
• Soil seed bank