Controlling herbicide resistance (HR) and its associated environmental risksis impossible without integrating social and economic science withbiophysical and technology aspects. Herbicide resistance is a dynamicallycomplex and ill-structured problem involving coupled natural–human systemsthat defy management approaches based on simple scientific and technologyapplications. The existence of mobile herbicide resistance and/or herbicidetolerance traits add complexity because susceptibility to the herbicide is aresource open to all farmers, impacting the weed population. Weed scientistshave extensively researched the biophysical aspects and grower perceptionsof HR. They also recognize that the “tragedy of the commons” can appear whenherbicide resistance is mobile across farms. However, the human structuresand processes, especially private and public institutions that influenceindividual and group decisions about HR, have received little analysis. Tostart filling that gap, we discuss an integrative management approach tosustainable weed control that addresses the social complexity of farmheterogeneity. For example, the need for a private or public collectivemechanism becomes apparent to address common-pool resource (CPR) aspectswhen one farmer's weed control actions influence their neighbors'situations. In such conditions, sole reliance on education, technicalassistance, and other incentives aimed at changing individual growerbehavior likely will fail to stem the advance of HR. Social science theoriescan be used to enrich the understanding of human interaction with thebiophysical environment and identify key actors and social change processesinfluencing those interactions in the case of HR. The short-run economicadvantages of herbicides such as glyphosate work against social change toaddress HR, including the development of collective actions when mobile HRconditions exist. We discuss seven design principles that can improve theefficacy and cost of such collective approaches and draw insights from CPRapproaches outside of HR.
