Applying and Combining Disturbance and Competition for an agro-ecological management of creeping perennial weeds

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The objective of AC/DC-weeds is to develop, examine and implement more and better agro-ecological management for creeping perennials in arable farming. Overall aim is to reduce plough-tillage in organic and conventional farming - in the latter also to replace glyphosate applications. Fields with less herbicide use to control perennial weeds would allow more biodiversity in the annual weed vegetation. Novel approaches for agro-ecological management of perennial weeds demand to exploit, combine and evaluate cultural, physical and bio-based chemical control. Creeping perennials are suppressed by disturbance or through competition hence, an agro-ecological management must activate these processes in a suitable and rational way. We propose to investigate new ways of agro-ecological management based on a better understanding of these processes. Seven partners from 5 European countries, representing a considerable area of Central and Northern European climatic and arable production conditions want to collaborate. AC/DC-weeds will be organized in 7 work packages. Each work package uses the most promising methodology regarding the state of knowledge, expected results and the envisaged outreach.New ways of applying disturbance subterranean without turning the soil will be examined in field experiments together with defoliation strategies with biocompatible herbicides. Results from joint field experiments will test efficacy and practicability of these new ways. The effects of enhanced competition are frequently investigated. Existing results on creeping perennials will be systematized in a meta-analysis. The extracted knowledge will feed a trait-based joint database. Three most important species in Central and Northern Europe differ in biology and ecology. Specific data for Elymus repens, Cirsium arvense and Sonchus arvense are pooled, knowledge gaps identified and close through specific small scaled experiments. We follow new approaches to spatially explicit monitor these perennials with available sensors installed in drones. Reliable algorithms will be developed to distinguish and monitor perennials. Qualitative models to analyse the impact of cropping practices, soil, weather and field environment on perennial infestations will be designed. With the help of a novel interactive graphical web tool spatial visualization for different scenarios of applying disturbance and competition will be developed. Coordination fundamentally ensures data flow, exchange and communication among partners. A data framework is provided to feed experimental results, descriptive and analytical trait and species based approaches into technological applications. Dissemination of the results is coordinated and supported. As outreaching results will aim on altering cropping technologies, evaluation of effects on the environment and on economic will be provided to accomplish dissemination. Results and products of all WPs and partners will be disseminated.