Weed science research: past, present, and future perspectives / Robert J. Froud-Williams -- Descriptive and mechanistic models of crop-weed competition / Lammert Bastiaans and Jonathan Storkey -- Approaches and objectives of arable weed species mapping: where next? / Hansjörg Krähmer and Paolo Bàrberi -- Seed biology and population dynamics / Kirsten S. Tørresen, Laila M. Karlsson and Jose Luis Gonzalez-Andujar -- Weeds and biodiversity / Bärbel Gerowitt, Paolo Bàrberi, Henri Darmency, Sandrine Petit, Jonathan Storkey and Paula Westerman -- Optimising herbicide performance / Per Kudsk -- Herbicide resistance in weeds / Stephen Moss -- Weed biological control / Richard H. Shaw and Paul E. Hatcher -- Non-chemical weed management / Bo Melander, Matt Liebman, Adam S. Davis, and others -- Invasive plants / Christian Bohren -- Parasitic weeds / Maurizio Vurro, Alejandro Pérez-de-Luque and Hanan Eizenberg -- Weed management systems in vegetables / Francesco Tei and Euro Pannacci -- Perennial weeds / Paul E. Hatcher.

Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Contents -- List of Contributors -- Preface -- Chapter 1 Weed Science Research: Past, Present and Future Perspectives -- Introduction -- Factors Influencing the Weed Flora -- Succession -- Clean Seed -- Rotation -- Fallow -- Cultivation -- Straw Burning -- Soil Amelioration, Drainage and Fertiliser Use -- Nitrogen -- Herbicides -- Consequences of Changing Practices -- Changing Weed Floras -- Episodic Decline -- Weed Spatial Distribution -- History of Weed Science in the UK and Origins of the Weed Research Organization -- Origins of the European Weed Research Society -- Weed Research (Journal): Origin of Papers and Discipline -- Changing Attitudes to Weeds -- Set-Aside and Agri-Environment -- Weeds, Climate and Invasive Aliens -- Future Directions (Quo Vadis?) -- Environmental Weed Management -- Evolutionary Genetics and the Role of Molecular Ecology -- Is there a Need for a Change of Emphasis? -- Conclusion -- Acknowledgements -- References -- Chapter 2 Descriptive and Mechanistic Models of Crop-Weed Competition -- Introduction -- Descriptive Models for Yield Loss Due to Weed Competition -- The Hyperbolic Yield Loss-Weed Density Curve -- Accounting for Differences in Relative Time of Emergence -- Other Factors Influencing Parameter i -- Management Aimed at Modifying Crop-Weed Competitive Relations -- A Quantitative Characterisation of Differences in Weed Suppressive Ability of Crop Cultivars -- Mechanistic Models for Crop-Weed Competition -- Structure and Function of Process Based Models for Crop-Weed Competition -- A First Application: Ideotyping of More Weed Suppressive Cultivars -- A Second Application: Predicting the Impact of Climate Change on Weed Distribution -- Conclusion -- References -- Chapter 3 Approaches and Objectives of Arable Weed Species Mapping: Where Next? -- Weed Species Mapping: Why?

Scientific Literature: State of the Art -- Mapping Herbicide-resistant Biotypes -- Mapping Invasive Species -- Weed Species Mapping: Who? -- Weed Species Mapping: Where and What? -- Maps of Weeds in European Arable Crops -- Field-Level Mapping -- Weed Species Mapping: How? -- Geo-Referencing -- Timing of Assessment -- Sampling Parameters -- Documentation and Maps -- What to Conclude from Weed Mapping Data? -- Weed Mapping: Where to Go? -- Acknowledgements -- References -- Chapter 4 Seed Biology and Population Dynamics -- Introduction -- Seed Biology -- Seed Production and Dispersal -- Seed-Bank -- Germination and Dormancy -- Germination -- Dormancy -- Sprouting from Vegetative Plant Parts -- Predicting Seedling Emergence -- Empirical Models -- Mechanistic Models -- Challenges in Predicting Emergence -- Importance for Weed Control -- Population Dynamics -- Dynamics in Time and Space -- Modelling -- Non-Spatial Models -- Spatial Models -- Practical Applications in Weed Science -- Evaluation of Management Systems -- Decision Support Systems -- Challenges in Modelling Population Dynamics -- Future Prospects -- Conclusion -- Acknowledgements -- References -- Chapter 5 Weeds and Biodiversity -- Introduction -- Arable Weeds in the Context of Biodiversity -- Functional Biodiversity -- Agronomic Services and Dis-services Associated with Weeds -- Genetic Diversity in Weeds -- Rare Weed Species as Objects of Conservation -- Drivers of Arable Weed Declines -- The Rare Weed Trait Syndrome -- Conserving Rare Weed Communities -- Weeds in Food Chains of Arable Systems -- Factors Influencing Seed-based Food Webs in Agroecosystems -- Weed Seed Production -- Within-season Temporal Variability -- Between-season Temporal Variability -- Spatial Variability -- Seed Morphology and Chemistry -- Weed Diversity.

Current Status of Seed Based Food Webs on Farms and Management Options -- Diversity of Weeds and Arable Management -- Site Conditions of Arable Fields Shape Weed Communities -- Methods to Identify and Separate the Influence of Arable Site and Arable Management on Weed Diversity -- Arable Management Determines Weed Diversity -- Weed Diversity Versus Weed Abundance -- Diversity in Weeds Facilitates Management Options -- Diversity of Weeds in a Landscape Context -- The Landscape Context of Weeds -- Conducting Landscape-Scale Weed Studies -- Landscape Effects on Weed Biodiversity: Empirical Evidence -- Biodiversity of Weeds in an Economic and Political Context -- Field Margin Programmes -- Encouraging Weed Diversity in Farming -- Conclusions and Perspectives -- References -- Chapter 6 Optimising Herbicide Performance -- Introduction -- Herbicide Classification -- Optimising Herbicide Performance: How to Study It -- Biotic Factors -- Weed Flora -- Weed Growth Stage -- Crop Competition -- Abiotic Factors -- Soil Texture -- Climatic Conditions -- Light -- Temperature -- Humidity -- Precipitation -- Soil moisture -- Wind -- Concluding Remarks -- Application Technique -- Adjuvants -- Mixtures with Other Herbicides -- Concluding Remarks and Future Challenges -- References -- Chapter 7 Herbicide Resistance in Weeds -- Historical Perspective -- What is Herbicide Resistance? -- The Worldwide Occurrence of Resistant Weeds -- Herbicide Mode of Action and Risk of Resistance -- Resistance Mechanisms -- Target-Site Resistance -- PSII (Triazines) -- ALS Inhibitors -- ACCase Inhibitors -- Other Herbicide Classes -- Non-Target-Site Resistance -- Reduced Herbicide Uptake -- Reduced Herbicide Translocation -- Enhanced Herbicide Metabolism -- Evolution of Herbicide Resistance -- Initial Frequency of the Resistance Trait and Size of Weed Population.

Genetic Basis of Resistance -- Selection Pressure -- Frequency of Herbicide Use -- Persistence of the Herbicide and Pattern of Weed Emergence -- Intrinsic Activity of the Herbicide and Degree of Resistance Conferred by the Resistance Mechanism(s) -- Specificity of the Herbicide: Number of Species the Herbicide Controls -- Seed-Bank in the Soil -- Resistance Risk -- Prevention and Management of Herbicide Resistance -- Detection of Resistance in the Field -- Integrated Weed Management -- Non-Chemical Control Methods -- Herbicidal Control -- Alternative Herbicides -- Mixtures, Sequences and Rotations -- Managing Resistance in Alopecurus myosuroides (Black grass): A Case Study -- Farmer Psychology: An Under Recognised Component of Resistance Management -- Conclusion -- References -- Chapter 8 Weed Biological Control -- Introduction -- Definitions of Weed Biocontrol -- Biocontrol of Weeds in European Extensive Agriculture -- Cirsium arvense -- Rumex Species -- Biocontrol of Weeds in Intensive Agriculture -- Biocontrol of Non Native Weeds -- Ambrosia -- In Summary -- Combining Biocontrol with Other Weed Control Techniques -- Combining with Other Non Chemical Control Methods -- Combination with Herbicides -- Arthropod Biocontrol Agents -- Fungal Biocontrol Agents -- Legislation, Responsibilities and Drivers -- Arthropods -- Fungi -- Conclusion -- References -- Chapter 9 Non-Chemical Weed Management -- Introduction -- Preventive and Cultural Weed Control -- Objectives, Principles and Practices -- Objective 1: Reduce Weed Density -- Objective 2: Reduce Damage Per Surviving Weed -- Objective 3: Prevent Undesirable Shifts in Weed Community Composition -- Current Adoption and Challenges -- Cover Crops and Mulches -- Mechanisms of Cover Crop-weed Interactions -- Challenges for Research -- Mechanical Weed Control -- How it Works -- Shortcomings.

Challenges for Research -- Thermal Weed Control -- Thermal Weed Control in Practice -- Challenges for Research -- Conclusion -- References -- Chapter 10 Invasive Plants -- Introduction -- Why Do Invasive Plants Symbolise such a Threat? -- Invasive Weeds and Human Health -- Ambrosia -- Giant Hogweed -- Weedy Crops, Super Weeds and Mimetic Weeds -- Invasive Aquatic Weeds -- Human Intervention -- Human Curiosity -- Reasons for Increased Occurrence of Invasive Weeds -- Responsibility -- Scientific Prioritisation -- Popular Prioritisation -- Implementation -- Facts Concerning Plant Invasion -- The Early Beginnings -- Changing Land Use and Fishery -- Rapid Adaptation -- Weeds, Invasives and Climate Change -- What Makes Plant Invaders so Successful? -- Can We Predict Plant Invasions? -- What Has Been Done so Far? -- Databases -- European Initiative -- European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) -- Euphresco -- SMARTER -- Role of the EWRS Invasive Plants Working Group -- Mission -- Working Group Activities -- Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal, 2006 -- Osijek, Croatia, 2008 -- Ascona, Switzerland, 2011 -- Montpellier, France, 2014 -- EPPO Trabzon -- NEOBIOTA -- Aquatic Weeds -- Definitions and Plant Lists -- Definitions -- Weed -- Invasive Plant -- Plant Invader -- Invasion Trajectory -- Invasive Species Lists -- Control Strategies for Invasive Weeds -- Biological Control Versus Conventional Control -- Learning to Control Invasions -- Social and Economic Aspects -- Anthriscus -- Japanese Knotweed -- Bracken -- Ambrosia -- Strategies -- Prevention -- Early Detection -- Rapid Response -- Pest Risk Assessment -- Species-Specific Control -- Conclusion -- References -- Chapter 11 Parasitic Weeds -- Introduction -- Classification -- Orobanchaceae (Broomrape Family) -- Cuscuta -- Life-Cycle -- Broomrapes -- Dodder.