The effect of microwave soil treatment on key soil biota

No-till agricultural practices, which maintain good soil structure and greatly reduce the potential for soil erosion compared with older tillage practices, are heavily dependent on herbicides to manage weed infestations. Unfortunately, herbicide resistance in many weed species is becoming wide spread and multiple herbicide resistances in several economically important weed species have also been widely reported. Some studies have demonstrated that competition from weeds can reduce the expected yield of some crops by between 35% and 55%.