Communication is essential to any relationship — including that
between weed scientists and farmers. Farmers most often learn by
doing and through farmer-to-farmer networks. Scientists, on the
other hand, frequently use excessive jargon and data and may
come across as not appreciating farmer's needs. To successfully
communicate the best methods of weed control, scientists need a
better understanding of farmers’ awareness and perceptions of
agricultural risk.  The authors of an article in the October-
December issue of the journal Weed Science report on their
investigation of the human dimension of weed management. The
actions farmers take to control weeds and why they make these
decisions are key components to weed management that scientists
often ignore.  Scientists see farmers as taking a reactive role
to weed control, waiting too long to act, and relying heavily on
herbicides. With a program of “integrated weed management,”
scientists seek to provide farmers with a systematic approach.
The goal is to reduce