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Weed science in sustainable agriculture

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 October 2009

Robert L. Zimdahl
Affiliation:
Professor, Weed Research Laboratory, Department of Plant Pathology and Weed Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523.
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Abstract

Five thoughts about the role and future of weed science in agriculture are analyzed. Much about the tools, techniques, and achievements of weed science should be lauded. Its achievements in basic science and its worldwide contributions to agricultural production and productivity are incontestable. The discipline has been based primarily on chemical technology, and the weed science community has been shaped by the available technology and by the purposes of its members. New, sustainable weed management systems will rely on knowledge derived from answers to new questions about weed-crop relationships and management techniques. As weed scientists develop better management systems, they will need to find better words to describe what they do and why it is important.

Type
commentary
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995

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