Description
Some plant species are particularly well adapted to environments disturbed by humans. Often such species are invasive and problematic, and thus are classified as weeds. Despite our best efforts to manage weeds, they continue to interfere with crop production. There is clearly much to learn about weeds, information that could aid in weed management and improve competitiveness in nonweedy species. The tools of molecular biology have been enlisted in ongoing efforts to manage weeds, most notably in the development and commercialization of crop plants tailored to resist certain herbicides. Molecular biology also has been used to gain a better understanding of how weeds compete and interact with neighboring plants, survive harsh environmental conditions, and evolve resistance to the herbicides used to control them.
Biology, Physiology and Molecular Biology of Weeds aims to provide comprehensive information on a wide range of topics on the use of molecular biology and biotechnology in weed science. It aims to provide knowledge that is expected to be applied in the practical control of weeds, and include integrated research, from basic to applied, with all elements contributing to real improvements in weed management. Management of weeds is performed for the benefit of different interests, ranging from clean and non slippery pavements, to minimizing yield losses in agriculture. The occurrence of weeds in agricultural crops leads to substantial yield reductions causing economic losses all over the world.
