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Dep. of Crop and Soil Sciences Michigan State Univ. East Lansing, MI 48824
buhler{at}msu.edu
M. LIEBMAN, C.L. MOHLER, and C.P. STAVER. Cambridge University Press, 40 West 20th St., New York, NY 10011-4211. 2001. Hardcover, 532 pp., $120.00. ISBN: 0-521-56068-3.
While weeds have plagued agriculture since its inception, the science of weed management is considered to be quite young. The beginning of weed science as an organized discipline is usually linked to the discovery and development of 2,4-D in the 1940s. Because of the rapid development and introduction of selective herbicides in subsequent decades, available resources for weed science research and education were focused on developing use recommendations and a fundamental understanding of the action and behavior of these new herbicides. As a result, weed science has often been considered the science of herbicides rather than the science of weeds.
In recent years, there has been renewed emphasis on the study of weed biology and ecology, nonherbicide control tactics, and integrated weed management systems. This trend has been driven by issues such as herbicide contamination of the environment, weed resistance to herbicides, increasing interest in organic production systems, and increasing production costs.
Much of the material in the preface and Chapter 1 is a restatement of the common criticisms of conventional weed control systems. However, this information is necessary for setting the context for the book, especially for readers not familiar with the topic. The intent of the book is clearly stated (... the emphasis here is on weed management procedures that rely on manipulations of ecological conditions and relationships ...) and the authors fulfilled this intent.
Chapter 2 begins with a solid discussion of weed life histories and then expands to a broad discussion of general weed ecology. The connection of this discussion to life history and weed management was not clear. It might have been more effective if the initial discussion on life history had been concisely linked to management and population dynamics and combined with some of the material in Chapter 10 to build a strong ecological basis for the practices discussed in the following chapters.
Chapters 4 through 8 are strong chapters on important elements of ecological weed management. These chapters recognize the interactions of cropping practices with weeds and the important concept that weeds should not be considered in isolation from other production activities. The chapter on crop diversity contains some of the best discussion of the impacts of crop rotation on weed management that I have encountered.
The book may be longer than needed to meet the objectives of the authors. This was most evident in Chapters 2,3,9, and 10 where the discussion seems to diverge from the goal of reviewing the concepts of ecological weed management. I am not suggesting that the basic concepts presented in these chapters are not important to the discussion, but rather that the linkage to ecological weed management could have been more concise and focused.
It is mentioned early in the book that ecological weed management does not exclude herbicides. If there is to be a move to the ecological practices presented in this book, a transition phase that includes herbicides will be needed by most producers. Unfortunately, appropriate methods to integrate herbicides with ecological weed management practices are given little attention. A chapter on integration of all concepts and practices (including herbicides) that can be part of weed management systems would have been a useful component of the book.
While I may have a few quibbles with some of the details, it is my opinion that this is an excellent book that was long overdue. The authors have examined cultural and ecological methods for weed management comprehensively and at a depth seldom attempted. The book is thoroughly referenced and should be of value to researchers and graduate students in weed management and ecology. It may also be appropriate as a text for advanced courses in weed management and as a supplemental reference for undergraduate courses in weed science.
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