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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Morris, Minnesota » Soil Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #59086
Title: MEETING THE CHALLENGE OF REDUCED HERBICIDE USE THROUGH DYNAMIC BIOECONOMIC WEED MANAGEMENT MODELS

Author
item Forcella, Frank

Submitted to: European Weed Research Society Symposium Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/8/1995
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: WEEDSIM is a bioeconomic model that makes management recommendations for the control of annual weeds in corn and soybean. Its recommendations were studied at a single field site for four years in Minnesota. The consequences of using model recommendations were compared to those resulting from standard intensive herbicide-based management. There were no statistically significant differences between WEEDSIM treatments and intensive herbicide treatments for weed seedbank densities, weed densities, weed seed production, weed control, and crop yields. WEEDSIM treatments significantly reduced herbicide use (lbs/acre) by 50% to 70%, environmental impact associated with herbicide use, and weed management costs compared to intensive herbicide management. Lastly, WEEDSIM treatments significantly increased profits, by greater than $20/acre, compared to intensive herbicide management. This increase in profit should compensate for the expected cost of collecting input information necessary to run WEEDSIM, which is estimated to be less than $10/acre.

Technical Abstract: The long-term effects of using WEEDSIM, a bioeconomic model for the management of annual weeds in maize and soybean, were studied at a single field site for four years in Minnesota. The consequences of using model recommendations were compared to those resulting from standard intensive herbicide-based management. There were no statistically significant differences between WEEDSIM treatments and intensive herbicide treatments for weed seedbank densities, weed densities, weed seed production, weed control, and crop yields. WEEDSIM treatments significantly reduced herbicide use (kg/ha) by 50% to 70%, environmental impact associated with herbicide use, and weed management costs compared to intensive herbicide management. Lastly, WEEDSIM treatments significantly increased profits, by greater than $50/ha, compared to intensive herbicide management. This increase in profit should compensate for the expected cost of collecting input information necessary to run WEEDSIM, which is estimated to be less than $25/ha.