Weed Ecology and Management

Our research works at the interface of two principles of sustainable agriculture: the need to maintain or improve soil quality and the use of ecological approaches for pest management, specifically weeds. The pronounced effects that soil-improving management practices may exert on annual weed dynamics were demonstrated during some my first field studies in Maine while working as a Research Associate. In the Maine Potato Ecosystem Project, a cropping systems comparison initiated in 1989 and continuing today, we found that soil-improving practices including organic amendments and green manuring contributed to weed management by encouraging potato vigor and interspecific effects on weeds (Gallandt et al., 1998). This inspired an analysis of the potential contributions that soil improving management practices may have on weeds both directly, and indirectly through changes in soil quality. The resulting review “Improving soil quality: implications for weed management” (Gallandt et al., 1999) established a plan of research objectives and questions that continues to guide my program (see also Gallandt, 2004, "Soil-improving practices for ecological weed management").