Wicked' US weed has put down roots locally

Abstract

The term ‘wicked’ weed is borrowed from the field of sociology where a wicked problem is defined as one without clear causes or solutions, and thus difficult or impossible to solve (Shaw, 2016, Weed Science: Special Issue, pp 552-558). Herbicide resistance is considered the epitome of a wicked problem: “The causes are convoluted by a myriad biological and technological factors, and are fundamentally driven by the vagaries of human decision-making.”