Integrated Weed Management: PRActical Implementation and Solutions for Europe

IWMPRAISE aims to support the implementation of Integrated Weed Management (IWM). IWMPRAISE will demonstrate that adoption of IWM supports more sustainable cropping systems both agronomically and environmentally, which are resilient to external impacts without jeopardising profitability or the steady supply of food, feed and biomaterials. IWMPRAISE aims to develop, test and assess management strategies delivered across whole cropping systems for four contrasting management scenarios representing typical crops in Europe. The specific objectives are to 1) quantify and address current socio-economic and agronomic barriers to the uptake of IWM 2) develop and optimise novel alternative weed control methods and create a ‘tool box’ of validated IWM methods 3) design, demonstrate and assess the performance and environmental and economic sustainability of IWM strategies and 4) make results available to end users. The development of IWM strategies are supported by WPs delivering practical knowledge and tools as well as knowledge and tools for assessing and disseminating the strategies, ensuring a vertical integration of the project. One WP is devoted to to the complex interaction between soil tillage, weed management and soil fertility. IWMPRAISE provides advances beyond the state-of-the-art within several areas ensuring that the overall goal of the project, to provide practical solutions to the end users, will be fulfilled. IWMPRAISE combines activities centred around R & D providing the tools for developing IWM strategies with activities that adopt the “interaction innovation model” involving end users and other actors in a partnership with public research institutes and private SMEs adopting a truly multi-actor approach. IWMPRAISE combines innovation potential for novel and sustainable weed management methods with implementation potential and will therefore address and provide impact within all areas listed in the call.