Mechanical weed control may include cultivation or some form of tillage. Cultural control is often overlooked but it may be an important part of reducing the over reliance on herbicides. This may mean using cultivars or hybrids that are more competitive, seeding in narrow rows or planting cover crops. The types of crops that are part of the rotations also play a critical in delaying herbicide resistance. Having a crop that is planted at a different time and that is subject to totally different management than corn and soybeans has for effect of destabilizing the weed populations.
Weeds have a harder time to adapt when management practices are changing.
Resistance would be more likely to occur in such a rotation, especially if herbicides of the same groups are used in each phase. Herbicides are very important tools for weed management and they will still be in the future. They provide efficient and cost effective weed control. As such they should be seen as resources that need to be protected. If they are overused, resistance will make them obsolete.