Seed dormancy and weed emergence: from simulating environmental change to understanding trait plasticity, adaptive evolution, and population fitness

Predicting weed emergence in crop production systems is a global challenge that requires understanding mechanisms of weed ecology and trait evolution in response to climate change and altered agricultural practices. Seed dormancy is a highly adaptive trait that controls this by defining the environmental conditions in which the seed is able to germinate (Finch-Savage and Leubner-Metzger, 2006). Weed soil seed bank persistence and the timing of seedling emergence depend on dormancy (Baskin and Baskin, 2006; Walck et al., 2011; Batlla et al., 2020). Integrating mechanisms of seed dormancy dynamics in variable field environments and across generations with population-based models and realistic ecophysiological simulations (Fernandez Farnocchia et al., 2021) are essential for more sustainable weed management strategies.

Automated summary

Predicting weed emergence in crop production systems is a global challenge that requires understanding mechanisms of weed ecology and trait evolution in response to climate change and altered agricultural practices. Seed dormancy, which controls germination by defining environmental conditions, plays a key role in weed soil seed bank persistence and seedling emergence timing. Integrating seed dormancy dynamics in variable field environments across generations is essential for more sustainable weed management strategies.