SURVEY 📝 Weeds are high on the list of production-limiting factors in arable farming, fruit and vegetable cultivation. Changing social perceptions and stricter requirements regarding the use of pesticides are putting pressure on effective management of weeds. In a more general sense, the transition to more sustainable agriculture, as well as climate change, may cause new weed problems and weed species to emerge. For example, there are indications that due to an increase in non-inversion tillage, green manures and flower-rich field margins, as well as a drier and warmer climate, parasitic weeds are on the rise in central and northwestern Europe. By means of a Europe-wide online survey, researchers from Wageningen University & Research University and the British University of Greenwich want to gain a better understanding of this. This requires the help of farmers, extension workers and other researchers, both for companies that are already dealing with these specific weed problems and for companies that are not (yet) affected!
We need all the help we can get to reach out to European farmers or professionals working with them to take part in this short (max. 10 minutes) online survey about weeds. Even if farmers do not have these specific weeds on their farm, we would like to hear from them (in that case the survey takes a maximum of 5 minutes)! Participants can scan the QR code or copy this URL (tinyurl.com/parasiticweeds).
IPPS members: your help in disseminating this to farmers in Europe would be greatly appreciated!
