Climate Change Impacts on Crop–Weed Interaction and Eerbicide efficacy

Weeds are likely to show more resilience and adaptation to rising carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration and temperature than crops because of their diverse gene pool and greater physiological plasticity. In agroecosystems, C₃ and C₄ plants exhibit varied responses to elevated CO₂ (eCO₂) and temperature (eTem), which can impact the crop–weed competition and efficacy of herbicides. Most C₃ plants respond positively to eCO₂ by increasing their photosynthetic rate and biomass production. Weeds compete with crops for nutrients, water and light, and considerably reduce yield and quality of the produce. Hence more attention is needed on crop–weed interaction and management under changing climate to ensure sustainable agricultural production. This study emphasizes on the impacts of climate change on crop–weed interaction, herbicide efficacy and weed flora shift, and also highlights the research gaps for further studies.