Exploring the interaction of weed control management and crop structure on maize yield in the wide range of Mexican cropping systems

The widespread reliance on herbicides as the primary weed control strategy is increasingly being questioned. Agroecological management offers a promising alternative, yet comparisons with conventional approaches often fail to consider the theoretical agroeconomic models and its experimental validation. Evaluating agroecological weed management across a wide range of cropping systems allows for robust comparisons with herbicide-based strategies and facilitates the analysis of the potential interactions with different cropping systems and crop structures. The objectives of our study were (i) to assess grain yield between weed management treatments in different maize cropping systems (CSYS), (ii) to explore interactions between weed management and practices number and crop structure (CSTR) and investigate how these interactions affect the evolution of weed and maize covers, and (iii) to assess weed control treatments and CSTR effects on final grain yield. Our results show that weed management treatments did not differ in grain yield in a wide range of CSYS. Agroecological management required a greater number of practices. The timing of weed control practices (from emergence to 6–9 expanded leaves) was an important factor for both agroecological and herbicides treatments and for different genotypes. Weed management treatments did not interact with CSTR to define grain yield. However, CSTR explained between 28 and 60% of grain yield variability. We highlight the importance of genotype and plant density elections for grain yield determination. We also highlight that the apparent response of genotypes and density on weeds in experimental conditions is not evident in field conditions. It is still necessary to develop more complex models that can include factors such as the decision-making of farmers and technicians.