This project examines non-target effects of herbicides on higher plant species within arable and horticultural crops. It is not concerned with off- target effects, such as drift to seminatural habitats, but is particularly concerned with the biodiversity implications of herbicide use within crops.
The overall objectives of this desk study was to review the known effects of herbicides on weed populations and communities within arable crops and to review the subsequent indirect effects on fauna, to identify gaps in knowledge, to prioritise research needs and to examine potential approaches to a) risk assessment for non-target plants in fields and b) practical means of maintaining appropriate weed cover in crops.
Contents
Chapter 2 Ecology of representative weed species
Chapter 3 Updating pn0923 - non-target effects of herbicides
Chapter 4 Changes in above-ground weed abundance
Chapter 5 Non-target weed species in the seedbank
Chapter 6 Current weed control and its impact
Chapter 7 Effects of management other than herbicides on farmland biodiversity
Chapter 8 The impact of herbicides on invertebrates
Chapter 9 Relationships between weeds, herbicides and birds
Chapter 10 Risk assessment for non-target plants within crops
Chapter 11 Practical weed control, biodiversity and risk avoidance
