Work

Evaluating and identifying the drivers of sustainability of integrated weed management systems in three European case studies with in silico tools

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Integrated Weed Management (IWM) aims to control weeds by combining several cropping techniques and using synthetic herbicides only as a last resort. Identifying and evaluating such IWM cropping systems is difficult in fields because of the many candidate systems and long-term effects. The present study aimed to develop a simulation-based methodology for evaluating IWM systems designed by farmers and other experts, in order to identify the technical and biological determinants of the performance of the IWM systems. Three European case studies were chosen (Denmark, France, Italy) where local experts identified typical local arable cereal-based cropping systems and designed alternative IWM strategies. Weed dynamics and impacts on yield and biodiversity were simulated with F lor S ys , which is to date the most complete model in terms of cropping-system effects, realism of biophysical processes and weed impacts. Economic and environmental sustainability was evaluated with the Business Economics Analysis tool and the Pesticide Load Indicator. The IWM systems were compared to a local reference representing current standard systems, showing that reduced herbicide use did not come with a cost in terms of crop yield, workload, fuel use or profitability but reduced environmental and health impacts. The best IWM systems increased crop rotation diversity, by including more cover crops (during summer fallow), spring crops and/or multiannual crops, which in turn enabled an increased diversity in cropping techniques. Generic rules for redesigning IWM systems were summarized, together with the underlying causes and consequences for the economic and environmental sustainability. To consolidate our conclusions, the present proof of concept needs to be applied to a larger diversity of cropping systems. To shift from IWM towards agroecological weed management, the model and the tested cropping systems should include other processes of biological regulation (e.g., competition for soil resources, weed seed predation or allelopathy).

Source: European Journal of Agronomy

DOI: 10.1016/j.eja.2025.127736

Authors: Nathalie Colbach, Bruno Chauvel, Koen Klompe, Matteo Ruggeri, Mette Sønderskov, Pieter de Wolf