Organic horticulture producers rank weeds as one of their most troublesome,\ntime-consuming, and costly production problems. With the increasing significance of organic\nhorticulture, the need for new bioherbicides to control weeds has grown. Potential bioherbicides may\nbe developed from pathogens, natural products, and extracts of natural materials. Fungal and bacteria\npathogens are two important types of microbial agents that have potential to be used as bioherbicides.\nThe byproducts of natural sources such as dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS), corn gluten\nmeal (CGM), and mustard seed meals (MSMs) have shown herbicidal activities in controlling many\nweed species. Some essential oil extracts have shown bioherbicide potential as well. The efficacy of a\nbioherbicide is the main limiting factor for its application, and it may be affected by environmental\nfactors such as humidity and moisture, the application method, the spectrum of the bioherbicide,\nand the type of formulation. In addition to efficacy, costs and concerns about potential human health\nthreats are also limitations to bioherbicide use. As the integration of bioherbicide technology into\ncurrent weed management systems may help manage herbicide resistance, reduce production costs,\nand increase crop yields, future research should involve the development of more cost-effective and\nefficient bioherbicides for control of weeds, as well as the optimization of production methods and\ncultural practices with use of candidate bioherbicides.
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