INTEGRATING COVER CROPS TO DIVERSIFY HERBICIDE RESISTANT WEED MANAGEMENT IN NO-TILL CROP PRODUCTION

Simplified, single-tactic weed management systems have led to a dramatic increase in herbicide resistant weeds in recent decades within no-till crop production. Looking forward, an ecologically-based IPM approach provides the foundation for herbicide resistant weed management. Current cover cropping trends present an unique oportunity to advance weed IPM and help manage herbicide resistance while also enhancing a range of other ecosystem services provided by cover crops. This proposal extends beyond previous research in order to elucidate how cover cropping may be integrated with current herbicide-based strategies to manage both summer- and winter-annual weeds in the Mid-Atlantic region.Our proposed project will 1) determine the mechanisms by which selected cover cropping strategies designed for no-till systems influence weed population dynamics, 2) determine the effects of these winter cover crop strategies on herbicide resistance selection pressure, and 3) determine how managing cover crops for weed suppression influences other valued ecosystem services provided by cover crops. Our long-term goals are to: 1) increase adoption of ecologically-based weed IPM tactics by improving farmer knowledge of how to use cover crops to improve weed suppression in addition to other ecosystem services, and 2) preserve conservation tillage goals and current herbicide technology through integration of ecologically-based weed management tactics that reduce herbicide use. This project will provide a range of outreach programs to farmers and farm advisors in the region. An innovative approach to explaining cover cropping strategies will be used to better demonstrate tradeoffs among weed management and other grower priorities to stakeholders.