Weed seeds in agricultural systems either germinate, die (by disease or predation), or remain dormant and germinate in later crops. The processes regulating seed mortality of many weed species are poorly understood. We will focus on maximizing weed seed loss in vegetable crop rotations by developing strategies that conserve weed seed predators or enhance other factors that increase seed mortality. Seed predators will be strategically conserved within a crop rotation so that predator efficacy is greatest when weed seed production is expected to be high and when seed predators can access seeds. This strategy has promise for suppressing weed populations and reducing weed management costs.
