Ruolo delle conoscenze biologiche nella malerbologia

After a brief historical analysis of the development of weed science in relation to other crop protection disciplines, the impact of weeds on agricultural production is discussed. High herbicide efficacy and their fairly low cost have reduced, at least for a time, the need to widen knowledge on the biological mechanisms that regulate the relationships between weeds and the other elements in the agro-ecosystem. To limit the damage caused by the weeds, it is suggested that it is necessary to avoid the vicious circle between herbicide use and evolution of the flora, limit the environmental impact of the techniques used and base weed control on integrated management (IWM), i.e. on the use of all available chemical, mechanical and agronomic means. IWM requires more knowledge on the biological characteristics of the various components of the agro-ecosystem in order to predict the impact and evolution of the weed flora. It is suggested that the ideal tool for this is computer modelling. Examples are given to support this recommendation: the decision model GESTINF and the eco-physiological model INTERCOM.