Weed seedbank management is at the core of integrated weed management for annual weeds. Seed rain from uncontrolled weed escapes is the major source of annual seedbank replenishment in arable fields. Weed escapes during the late season (weeds that escaped control activities during the season and/or cohorts that emerged late, after control activities were stopped) often are not managed, because doing so is perceived as a cost that doesn’t help with yield increase or profits in the current season. However, seed production from these random escapes can favor the persistence of the weed species in the field and increase future weed management costs. Several strategies can be implemented during the late season to minimize viable seed production in uncontrolled weed escapes, including hand chopping, herbicide applications, weed zapping, and harvest weed seed control, among others.
