Integrated weed management (IWM) combines various methods to reduce or eliminate the effect of weeds on crop production over time, using a combination of practices that are most effective for solving specific weed issues. These weed management techniques form a “toolbox” in which each “tool” can be integrated into a weed management plan catered to the particular farm and problem. The toolbox includes preventative, biological, chemical, cultural, and mechanical strategies. IWM also considers the weed species present and tailors strategies for these species.
A collaborative effort led by Dr. Michael Flessner with Virginia Tec has been developed to compare the efficacy of various integrated weed management tactics before and after planting at reducing the impact of common troublesome weed species. Other universities of the Mid-Atlantic Region (Rutgers, West Virginia University, Penn State, University of Delaware, and University of Maryland) have also participated to this project.
A poster providing relative effectiveness of various integrated weed management tactics for summer annual crops is now available (https://agweedsci.spes.vt.edu/extension/publications/iwm.html) and will help growers identify the most effective tactics to manage weeds.
age of 88. After completing his college degree at Rutgers, Bill served our country in the military until 1955 where he earned the rank of First Lieutenant. He then returned to Rutgers, Cook College, to teach and later became an Extension Specialist in Agricultural Engineering. Early in his career, he invented the air-inflated, double-layer polyethylene film system for covering the roof of a greenhouse. Today, approximately 65 percent of all commercial greenhouses in the United States use the air-inflated system. This innovation won Bill many awards and tremendous gratitude from the industry. On a personal note, Bill was most known for his tremendous faith and love for family; especially wife Dottie. For more information about Bill Roberts, please see the beginning pages of the 
