The main issue that European agriculture is facing is related to maintaining and if possible increasing yields while reducing inputsespecially pesticides, including herbicides. Society is paying increasing attention to the quality of products as well as to the sustainability of the productive system. Control of weeds is necessary to achieve economically acceptable yields. The main tool is chemical weed control. This practice spread quickly after its introduction, due its efficacy and

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... but it also generated a series of agronomic and environmental issues. One of the solutions to maintain yields, while reducing herbicide use is the adoption of the Integrated Weed Management (IWM). IWM is based on the knowledge of weeds and their response to cropping practices, weed-crop competitive relationships and chemical and non-chemical means of control. IWM has had a quite remarkable success among researchers, politicians and public opinion, but has rarely been applied by farmers. The limited implementation of this management approach may have different explanations: i) IWM is more complex than conventional management as it requires greater skill and is more time consuming; ii) there is a lack of financial sup-Correspondence: Prof. Giuseppe Zanin,