Pioneering weeds prevail in many environments and induce substantial damage to agricultural operations and all indigenous life forms [19] . Usually, invasive weeds display improved fecundity and endurance when compared to indigenous plants [20] . Generally, their strong invading abilities and ensuing expansion, relate to a slump in the plethora of endemic species [21] . In addition to competing with crops for light, water, nutrients and growing space, weeds may also affect crop growth and yield through allelopathic processes [18] . In accordance with the viability of agricultural production systems and crop yields, effective weed control is essential to limit weed-crop competitive and allelopathic effects.

In large-scale intensive agriculture, weed control is predominantly rooted in agrochemical applications in the form of herbicides [22] . This is mainly due to their very quick responses, great potency, and relatively nominal expenses [22] . Globally, herbicides have performed a pivotal function in intensive production and that assured the incremental upturn in agricultural yields [23] . For instance, weed interference in safflower can reduce grain yields substantially, but data by reference [24] revealed that the herbicides sulfentrazone and pyroxasulfone or dimethenamid-P in combination with pendimethalin applied pre-emergence of weed seed germination, are efficient treatments for significant control of kochia [Bassia scoparia (L.) A. J. Scott] and Russian-thistle (Salsola tragus L.).

However, the application of herbicides to eradicate unwanted plants in order to improve the efficiency of crop production practices, caused unwanted side effects in the environment. Herbicides are constituted of minuscule molecules whose main aim is to disrupt the physiological course of action in plants [25] . The function of this herbicidal mechanism of action is to interfere with the plant’s metabolic processees that eventually lead to its senescence [12] .

Additionally, there is the aggregation of herbicide transmittal, traversing species over the food chain, that in the course of time, extent to humans [12] . The adverse secondary effects in humans mainly involve cell impedance, carcinogenic consequences, declining fertility influences and neurological implications [12] . Finally, reference [12] reported that there is a compelling association between the exposure of humans to agrochemicals and their ailments, especially cancer.

Furthermore, the excessive dependency on herbicides, which evidently is a side effect of intensification, did not contemplate the repercussions of its repeated and unchecked use, namely the proficiency of all life forms to readjust to unfavourable environmental surroundings [26] . Coupled to the simultaneous lack of any precautions or alternative management strategies, these repercussions exacerbated the evolution and dissemination of weeds cross-resistant to different herbicide groups [22] . Addressing this constraint, requires the preventative drafting and utilization of a wider farmland concept that will improve the sustainability of intensive cropping systems [27] . In terms of ecological aspects, this concept includes habitat conservation and the introduction of ecological high density semi-natural habitats.

Generally, the first tactic to deal with the production constraint of cross-resistant weeds in cropping systems, is the application of increased herbicide rates [28] as well as the utilization of active ingredients that linger for an extended period in the surrounding farmland [29] . Currently, cross-resistant weeds occur in 100 crops across 72 countries [30] . Globally the evolution of this phenomenon is manifested in large-scale agricultural production systems [31] . Extensive cross-resistance to diversified active chemical ingredients suggest serious environmental and commercial hazards, particularly to food production and safety [32] .

Long lasting intensive agricultural practices show discord both with the promotion of the biodiversity of microbes belowground and aboveground involved in the breaking down of plant material [1] . Reference [33] , showed the unintended ramifications of herbicides on benign insects. This happens when the collateral consequences of herbicide applications influence the plant heterogeneity and the assortment of higher plants that is naturally beneficial to insect variety in agricultural landscapes [33] .

After the use of herbicides, reference [34] observed a significant reduction in populations of a myriad of living organisms that are active in nutritive processes in the environment, including carnivore, vegetarian and decomposer groups. Similarly, reference [35] reported extreme alteration in the structure of macroarthropod community associations following the application of herbicides. Specifically, a drastic distortion in the interplay and structure of associations among these organisms may change its active status and cohesion [36] . Subsequent to a reduction in the application of herbicides, studies by reference [36] also suggest a higher fraction of beneficial indigenous species retracing. Notwithstanding, reference [37] concluded that the intended and unintended side effects on benign insect mobility cannot be overlooked.

Processes in the soil microbiome have valuable functions in affecting numerous ecological roles in the rhizosphere that comprise carbon and nitrogen cycling and the decomposition of plant material in ecosystems [51] . Through root exudation, some plants may alter the soil microbial profile and diversity for its own competitive advantage [52] , due to influences on the formation, heterogeneity, and dispersal of soil microbial colonies [53] . In addition, data showed that soil type and locality are major determinants in the regulation of interactions among plants and microorganisms [54] . Moreover, a reduction in habitat heterogeneity of vegetation reveals it as the force behind the change in active status of soil microbes [55] and developments in the multiple operations of its microbiome [14] .

Over all heterogeneous taxonomic genera, the process of variegation probably causes a win-win scenario when the focus is on soil microbes, including bacteria and fungi. It shows a decreased myriad and variety of pests linked to reduced yields and indicates that diversification could successfully diminish plant pests [16] . Ecological interplay may also accomplish effective functions in modifying weed communities by means of microbial degeneration of viable seeds in the soil seedbank [56] .

Reference [57] followed a distinctive approach and after meticulous detection and preference testing of soil microbial communities, disclosed that particular weed-inhibitive bacteria showed selectivity in suppressing annual invasive Poaceae plants. This implies that it may be considered and utilized in the formulation of weed control tactics [57] .

Weed-inhibitive bacteria that diminish the seedbank and show inhibitory seedling development [58] are particularly appealing as biocontrol agents for selected problematic weeds. Since it prefers frigid conditions for effective weed suppression, the preferred time of application are under wintery climatic conditions. With proper application, which is in a similar way to that of agrochemicals during commercial production practices, reference [59] reported weed inhibition of more than 90% after 5 years.

Reference [60] presented appreciable data which imply that arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi can influence the dynamics of weed populations in agricultural production systems. By way of a myriad of methods, the interplay between weeds and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi may diminish production deficits brought about by unwanted plants. Accordingly, the utilisation of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi opens up novel approaches to weed suppression [60] .

Reverse fertilisation is a tactic that entail the application of considerable volumes with a great ratio of carbon:nitrogen (C:N) modifications into the soil. According to reference [61] the general effect is that C modifications had a great detrimental influence on the advancement of all invasive plant species tested. The excess carbon encourages development of soil microbes and excite the foraging of nitrogen causing its ensuing incapacitation within microbial cells [61] .

Findings by [62] indicate the probability to enhance and broaden the utilisation of reverse fertilisation as a weed control strategy in agricultural production systems. The application of various types of soil amendments might achieve the required increase in soil C, but only in very high volumes. As in hereof, biochar commonly applied in huge volumes as a soil amendment, elevates soil carbon retention, improves soil health, and boost nutritious proficiency [63] . Additionally, soil treated with biochar, advances the development of microbes by way of the prevalent symbiosis among plants and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi [64] . A plentiful amount of beneficial traits permit biochar to grow soil C repository, diminish organic contaminants, and ameliorate the rhizosphere for microbes, thereby broadly regulating the soil habitat [65] .

This method of weed suppression is attributable to microbial incapacitation of nitrogen (N) in the short-term and leaves N without the basic microbial biomass. To a large extent, weeds showing cross-resistance against herbicides quickly react to N and are classified as nitrophilous plants [66] . If the period of N debilitation take place concurrently with the urgently critical time of weed suppression, the short-lived decline in inorganic N accessibility for root absorption is a profound mechanism in the rhisosphere for weed suppression in agroecosystems [67] .

As a natural weed control mechanism, weed seed predation refers to the consumption of weed seeds by different granivorous animal species and groups. They can consume more than 90% of weed seeds [68] depending on the particular plant species and environmental conditions. Results by reference [69] confirmed the promising aspects of advantageous invertebrates by way of seed predators, enabling decreased herbicide applications without production losses. Typically, this will advance agroecosystem diversity and is worthwhile for habitat persistence [70] .

Incidentally, cover crops and living mulches may diminish weed seedling growth by way of microenvironments conducive to granivores of unwanted seeds [71] . Data corroborate that the utilization of cover crops and living mulches can add to the quantity of active carabid beetles [72] and can bring about augmented weed seed predation [73] .

Over millennia, agricultural practices beyond various topographic territories and soil types favoured a mosaic environment within agricultural landscapes [47] . Reference [47] reported that these environments contained extensive biological diversity that underpinned its fecundity through an ecological role, being pollination, pest management and soil health.

Crop mosaics emerge as an integral result of more varied agricultural landscapes, especially when confronted by the onset of pests allied to climate change [74] . Reference [75] confirmed the value of niche compatibility traversing habitats for dissimilar and useful classes of species. Accordingly, crop mosaics arranged to advance compatibility at the landscape scale is important to bolster pollination services and insect management, while ecological variety in the surroundings act as a safety net for habitat diversity [76] .

Furthermore, biodiversity in agroecosystems enhances heterogeneous production practices, a universal description that contains a large assortment of plans of action that increase plant variety in territory and period; from the farmland to the region, with every one accommodating particular advantages of habitat heterogeneity [40] . Increasing ecological variety usually advances the assortment of living organisms and its provision of utilities in the environment [77] . Moreover, native vegetation strips serve as sink habitat for pest species and a shelter of origin for insect predators that overflow into the neighbouring farmland [78] .

Cover crops and living mulches promote agroecosystem biological diversity and often this correlates with the presence of a lower incidence of diseases, pests and weeds [79] in grain cropping production systems [80] . Data by reference [81] indicate that the practices of cover cropping and living as well as biomass mulches are very important elements of integrated weed management, since it introduces many different suppressive forces on weeds. Living mulches enhances problem plant suppression, diminish soil erosion and nutrient leaching, promote soil quality [81] and moderates the evolution of weed cross resistance to herbicides groups [79] . Mulches can also act as a physical barrier to weed germination and growth [82] . Certain biomass mulch materials, suppresses weeds by root exudation of allelopathic chemicals [18] and facilitate weed seed predation [71] .

Reference [83] showed that cover crops and living mulches also increase soil organic carbon with an associated improvement of soil enzymatic activity. Furthermore, apart from promoting beneficial factors, including soil health and soil water content, it also increases organic matter and enhances communities and the variety of soil microorganisms in the rhizosphere [80] .

According to reference [84] , even minor restoration with hedgerows is advantageous to valuable life forms in closely located fields within intensively managed agricultural landscapes. The field boundaries and fences near farm tracks that are arranged and maintained in expanded structures of semi-native havens across agroecosystems [85] may act as refuges for innumerable insects [86] .

Enhancing the assortment of life forms in semi-native agricultural surroundings through plants, indicate that weed control in combination with different tactics of vegetation use, comprising cover cropping, hedgerows and field margins, sets up safe havens in the landscape, and improve the diffusion of complementary life forms [87] . Reference [88] presumed that in most cases, the introduction of compounded production programs as well as crop type and rotation schedule arrangements, break the invasiveness of problem plants.

Reference [89] provided further proof of the benefits of hedgerows as well as its utilisation as movement corridors in intensively used agricultural landscapes. Reference [90] elaborated and showed that concatenated hedgerows are essential as forage and for unhindered movement corridors of mobile organisms. Hedgerow soils provide essential ecological services in agricultural landscapes, inter alia increased soil carbon storage, greater incidence of earthworm variety and acting as a refuge for specific communities of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi [91] .

Marginal farmland containing native plants in field margins [92] , perform a meaningful natural function as point of provision for forage, safe havens and distribution passageways for pollinators [93] and insect predators [94] . It also forms an area of separation against agrochemical drift into the surrounding agrarian countryside and water bodies [95] . As a transitional ecotone, field margins contain a combination of weeds and pioneering species, which are befitting of disruption in agroecosystems [96] . Furthermore, the variety of vegetation in hedgerows and field margins, reach the goal of conferring a variety of valuable additions of seeds to seedbank diversity [32] .

Field margins enclosing crops serve as a safe haven for large numbers of taxa and provide refuge from adjacent field disturbances. Field margins also functions as a habitat and a corridor for some organisms such as insect predators that provide natural pest control [90] . Since field margins are very important for the perpetuation of ecosystem services, it influences insect movements into cropped fields after disturbances such as agrochemical applications [92] .

Advancing habitat heterogeneity is decisive for biological diversity at the spatial range, since disparate native safe havens may present various niches and by that uphold several species [97] . Finally, reference [98] alluded to a general agreement that production areas that retain semi-native havens such as field margins in combination with slightly smaller cultivated farmland, advance greater biological diversity in agricultural landscapes. A study by reference [99] on the Poaceae (i.e. Lolium spp.), which are notorious for quickly developing weed resistance and acknowledged as abundant producers of wind-dispersed pollen, revealed that relatively small quantities of its pollen from savannas are passing through field margins.