Farmers are increasingly faced with challenges such as climate change, population growth, and the need for sustainable food production, while simultaneously having to address the environmental impacts of conventional agriculture. Agroecology has emerged as a holistic and sustainable approach to agriculture, integrating environmental, social, and economic principles. This study investigates the role of digital tools, including decision support systems (DSSs), in supporting agroecological transitions. Through a literature review and analysis of case studies, this paper examines the benefits and challenges associated with the adoption of digital tools in agroecology, highlighting their potential to promote sustainable practices such as soil and water management, pest control, and efficient resource use. The findings indicate that while digital solutions offer significant potential to enhance productivity and improve environmental outcomes, their adoption remains limited due to barriers such as low digital literacy, lack of infrastructure, and concerns about effectiveness in real-world farming conditions. Despite these challenges, digital solutions offer significant potential to enhance productivity, improve environmental outcomes, and support farmers’ decision-making. To comprehensively understand their benefits, a holistic approach is necessary, combining digital tools with hands-on training, policy support, and ongoing research. This paper highlights the role of digital tools in agroecology, explores their benefits and challenges, and discusses the need for continued research to assess their long-term potential in terms of the agroecological transition.

Biostimulants are products that can increase crop growth and can be applied either to the soil or to the plant and seed of a wide range of crops. However, there is a large gap in knowledge regarding the potential interactions of biostimulants with plant protection products like herbicides. The present review aims to highlight various effects of the combined use of biostimulants with herbicides in terms of weed management, crop yield and quality parameters. Special emphasis is given to the comparison between the combined use of biostimulants with herbicides and herbicides used alone (without biostimulants). In wheat and potato, the combined use of biostimulants with herbicides can in some cases be beneficial for the crop compared with herbicides alone, with recorded yield increases of up to 14.7% depending on the biostimulant, the herbicide, the year and the method of application (mixture or sequentially). Combining herbicides and biostimulants shows potential to achieve good weed management while improving crop yields and quality and thus lower herbicide rates could be probably used for sufficient weed control in full agreement with the goals of Green Deal and agroecology approaches.

Recently, there has been growing interest by farmers and researchers in various agroecological approaches enhancing biodiversity and conservation including the use of natural herbicides derived from fungi to provide adequate weed control. This change is driven by growing concerns about herbicide resistance, environmental impacts and regulatory requirements. This review summarizes the results of various studies and highlights the efficacy and benefits of fungal bioherbicides in weed control. Fungi-based bioherbicides utilize the natural weed suppression capability of selected fungi to reduce weed density and competitiveness without completely eradicating the plants and such an approach is at the core of agroecology. Bioherbicides contribute to conservation by providing an environmentally friendly alternative to chemical herbicides. By reducing the reliance on synthetic chemicals, fungal bioherbicides help preserve soil health, water quality and protect non-target species, including beneficial organisms such as pollinators and soil microbes. They also promote biodiversity by selectively targeting specific weed species, leaving native plants and other organisms unharmed and favoring diversified weed flora without the dominance of a few species. Despite their promising potential, bioherbicides face several challenges, including delayed action, production difficulties and the potential toxicity of certain fungal toxins to mammals. This review highlights the growing adoption of fungal bioherbicides as an eco-friendly component of Integrated Weed Management (IWM). Further research is necessary to identify optimal fungal strains for controlling persistent weeds without putting at risk the overall biodiversity and to develop improved formulations for enhanced efficacy.

Wheat production can be reduced due to competition from weeds, with farmers relying almost exclusively on chemical solutions. However, there are alternative farming practices available. Therefore, in a field trial in Greece, we assessed the efficacy of false and stale seedbed against important broadleaf weed species and their impact on grain yield parameters. Our study determined that false seedbed resulted in a decrease in the density and biomass of broadleaf weed species like catchweed bedstraw (Galium aparine L.) up to 75% and 69% compared with the untreated control (normal seedbed preparation), respectively. The efficacy of false seedbed was higher when combined with post-emergence chemical control. Stale seedbed also resulted in adequate weed control, with a biomass reduction of up to 81%, and grain yield increased by 30% compared with the normal seedbed preparation without any herbicide use. Our results highlight the differences in the response between the weed species and also emphasize the potential of adding an alternative farming practice (like false and stale seedbed) as part of an integrated farming strategy for a sustainable and agroecological crop and weed management. In order to validate the trends observed in this case study, further field-to-field or year-to-year replication is required.

Thermal weed control can contribute to the development of sustainable integrated weed management systems. This study aimed to optimize hot foam use for thermal weed control in vineyards ( Vitis vinifera L.), spinach ( Spinacia oleracea L.), and onions ( Allium cepa L.). In the vineyard, a randomized complete block design (RCBD) was established with four treatments repeated three times. The treatment list included three different hot foam application rates (13.33, 26.67, and 39.99 L m ⁻² ) and a control. The results showed that at the application rate of 39.99 L m ^–2 , the total weed density and biomass were reduced by 91 and 98%, respectively, compared to the control. This treatment was very effective on Conyza canadensis (L.) Cronquist. For both vegetables, four treatments were replicated three times (RCBD): untreated control (SSB-0) and stale seedbed with hot foam for thermal weed control before sowing but after 1 (SSB-1), 2 (SSB-2) and 3 weeks (SSB-3) of seedbed preparation. Compared to the control, SSB-3 reduced the biomass of Sinapis arvensis L., Papaver rhoeas L., and Lolium rigidum Gaud. in spinach by 85, 83, and 91%, respectively, and that of Amaranthus retroflexus L. in onions by 90%. In perennial crops, weed infestation appeared to decrease as the application rate of hot foam was increased. For open-field vegetables, the longer the period between seedbed preparation and pre-sowing thermal weed control, the greater the efficacy of hot foam in a stale seedbed. Further research is required to optimize hot foam as a thermal weed control tool in more cropping systems and environments.