Integrating weed seed loss mechanisms in regenerative agriculture for more sustainable weed management

Jasper Kanomanyanga; Chun Liu; Stephen Moss; Eric Ober; John Cussans; Shingirai Mudare; Irsa Ejaz; Mette Sønderskov; Shaun Coutts

doi:10.1016/j.agee.2025.110027

Integrating weed seed loss mechanisms in regenerative agriculture for more sustainable weed management

Jasper Kanomanyanga
, Chun Liu
, Stephen Moss
, Eric Ober
, John Cussans
, Shingirai Mudare
, Irsa Ejaz
, Mette Sønderskov
, Shaun Coutts^*

^*Corresponding author af dette arbejde

Institut for Agroøkologi - Afgrødesundhed

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift/Konferencebidrag i tidsskrift /Bidrag til avis › Review › Forskning › peer review

1 Citationer (Scopus)

Abstract

The Green Revolution significantly increased crop yields but relied heavily on synthetic herbicides and intensive farming. Despite growing interest in more sustainable agriculture, weed management in regenerative agricultural systems remains challenging, as it implies a reduced reliance on both herbicide use and intensive tillage. This review explores the potential of weed seed loss (WSL) mechanisms, including weed seed predation, seed shedding prevention, seed capture and destruction, microbial and allelochemical-mediated seed decay, and germination-driven losses, as ecologically sustainable tools for regenerative agriculture. Natural and agronomic WSL practices contribute 20–99 % of annual seedbank reductions. However, their success depends on strategic integration within holistic, context-specific farming systems. A strategic combination of WSL mechanisms and appropriate herbicide-based programs is recommended to disrupt weed life cycles and delay herbicide resistance. By bridging ecological principles with practical innovations, WSL mechanisms offer a pathway toward resilient, sustainable farming systems that balance food production with a positive contribution to ecosystem services.

Originalsprog	Engelsk
Artikelnummer	110027
Tidsskrift	Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment
Vol/bind	396
ISSN	0167-8809
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2025.110027
Status	Udgivet - 1 feb. 2026

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title = "Integrating weed seed loss mechanisms in regenerative agriculture for more sustainable weed management",

abstract = "The Green Revolution significantly increased crop yields but relied heavily on synthetic herbicides and intensive farming. Despite growing interest in more sustainable agriculture, weed management in regenerative agricultural systems remains challenging, as it implies a reduced reliance on both herbicide use and intensive tillage. This review explores the potential of weed seed loss (WSL) mechanisms, including weed seed predation, seed shedding prevention, seed capture and destruction, microbial and allelochemical-mediated seed decay, and germination-driven losses, as ecologically sustainable tools for regenerative agriculture. Natural and agronomic WSL practices contribute 20–99 \% of annual seedbank reductions. However, their success depends on strategic integration within holistic, context-specific farming systems. A strategic combination of WSL mechanisms and appropriate herbicide-based programs is recommended to disrupt weed life cycles and delay herbicide resistance. By bridging ecological principles with practical innovations, WSL mechanisms offer a pathway toward resilient, sustainable farming systems that balance food production with a positive contribution to ecosystem services.",

keywords = "Ecological resilience, Environmental sustainability, Predation, Weed seed capture, Weed seedbank, Weed surfing",

author = "Jasper Kanomanyanga and Chun Liu and Stephen Moss and Eric Ober and John Cussans and Shingirai Mudare and Irsa Ejaz and Mette S{\o}nderskov and Shaun Coutts",

year = "2026",

month = feb,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1016/j.agee.2025.110027",

language = "English",

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journal = "Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Integrating weed seed loss mechanisms in regenerative agriculture for more sustainable weed management

AU - Kanomanyanga, Jasper

AU - Liu, Chun

AU - Moss, Stephen

AU - Ober, Eric

AU - Cussans, John

AU - Mudare, Shingirai

AU - Ejaz, Irsa

AU - Sønderskov, Mette

AU - Coutts, Shaun

PY - 2026/2/1

Y1 - 2026/2/1

N2 - The Green Revolution significantly increased crop yields but relied heavily on synthetic herbicides and intensive farming. Despite growing interest in more sustainable agriculture, weed management in regenerative agricultural systems remains challenging, as it implies a reduced reliance on both herbicide use and intensive tillage. This review explores the potential of weed seed loss (WSL) mechanisms, including weed seed predation, seed shedding prevention, seed capture and destruction, microbial and allelochemical-mediated seed decay, and germination-driven losses, as ecologically sustainable tools for regenerative agriculture. Natural and agronomic WSL practices contribute 20–99 % of annual seedbank reductions. However, their success depends on strategic integration within holistic, context-specific farming systems. A strategic combination of WSL mechanisms and appropriate herbicide-based programs is recommended to disrupt weed life cycles and delay herbicide resistance. By bridging ecological principles with practical innovations, WSL mechanisms offer a pathway toward resilient, sustainable farming systems that balance food production with a positive contribution to ecosystem services.

AB - The Green Revolution significantly increased crop yields but relied heavily on synthetic herbicides and intensive farming. Despite growing interest in more sustainable agriculture, weed management in regenerative agricultural systems remains challenging, as it implies a reduced reliance on both herbicide use and intensive tillage. This review explores the potential of weed seed loss (WSL) mechanisms, including weed seed predation, seed shedding prevention, seed capture and destruction, microbial and allelochemical-mediated seed decay, and germination-driven losses, as ecologically sustainable tools for regenerative agriculture. Natural and agronomic WSL practices contribute 20–99 % of annual seedbank reductions. However, their success depends on strategic integration within holistic, context-specific farming systems. A strategic combination of WSL mechanisms and appropriate herbicide-based programs is recommended to disrupt weed life cycles and delay herbicide resistance. By bridging ecological principles with practical innovations, WSL mechanisms offer a pathway toward resilient, sustainable farming systems that balance food production with a positive contribution to ecosystem services.

KW - Ecological resilience

KW - Environmental sustainability

KW - Predation

KW - Weed seed capture

KW - Weed seedbank

KW - Weed surfing

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105018718092

U2 - 10.1016/j.agee.2025.110027

DO - 10.1016/j.agee.2025.110027

M3 - Review

AN - SCOPUS:105018718092

SN - 0167-8809

VL - 396

JO - Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment

JF - Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment

M1 - 110027

ER -

Integrating weed seed loss mechanisms in regenerative agriculture for more sustainable weed management

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