Cover crops as a weed seed bank management tool: A soil down review

This review explores ways that cover crops alter soil environmental conditions can be used to decrease seed survival, maintain weed dormancy, and reduce germination cues, thus reducing above-ground pressures. Cover are grown between cash in rotation, their residues persist into subsequent crops, impacting seeds both during after crops’ growth. Compared no crop, may seedling recruitment density via: i) temperature fluctuations thereof; ii) light availability altering quality; iii) trapping nitrogen the making it less soil-available weeds. In addition, provide habitat for above- below-ground fauna, resulting increased predation. The allelopathic nature of some also suppress However, not all effects discourage weeds, such as potentially increasing oxygen. Furthermore, moisture while actively growing but conserve termination, time-dependent effects. Similarly, decaying legume release soil, aiding multiplicity crop species mixtures, differing responses species, conditions, other factors hampers uniform recommendations complicates management producers. But, managed maximize biomass, do increase nitrogen, terminated at or planting will have greatest potential attenuate bank. There still many questions answered, if targeting efforts bank level is agronomically worthwhile. Future research on should include measurements banks, including dormancy status, predation levels, germination. Highlights - environment, influencing Weed reduced by decreased thereof, light, nitrogen. greater moisture, Management delay termination potential. predation,