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Weed Management Decisions in Corn Based on Bioeconomic Modeling

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 June 2017

Donald W. Lybecker ,
Edward E. Schweizer  and
Robert P. King
Donald W. Lybecker
Affiliation:
Dep. Agric. and Res. Econ., Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins, 80523
Edward E. Schweizer
Affiliation:
Agric. Res. Serv., U.S. Dep. Agric., Crops Res. Lab., 1701 Center Ave., Fort Collins, CO 80526
Robert P. King
Affiliation:
Dep. Agric. and Appl. Econ., Univ. Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108
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Abstract

A fixed (conventional) weed management strategy in corn was compared to three other strategies (two mixed and one flexible) in terms of weed control, grain yield, gross margin (gross income minus herbicide treatment costs), and herbicide use under furrow irrigation for four consecutive years. The fixed strategy prespecified preplanting, preemergence, postemergence, and layby herbicides. The flexible strategy herbicide treatments were specified by a computer bioeconomic model. Model decisions were based on weed seed in soil before planting, weed densities after corn emergence, herbicide costs, expected corn grain yield and selling price, and other parameters. The two mixed strategies were a combination of fixed and flexible strategies and designated either specified soil-applied herbicides (mixed/soil), or no soil-applied herbicide (mixed/no soil); postemergence treatments were determined by the model. Average corn grain yield was 10 280 kg ha–1 and gross income was 920 $ ha–1 and neither differed among strategies. Total weed density and gross margin were significantly higher for the mixed/no soil and flexible strategies compared to the mixed/soil and fixed strategies. Total weed density averaged 28 720, 28 100, 10 910, and 680 plants ha–1 for the mixed/no soil, flexible, mixed/soil, and fixed strategies, respectively. Annual gross margins for the four strategies averaged 885, 875, 845, and 810 $ ha–1, respectively. Herbicide use over the 4-yr period for these four strategies averaged 3.8, 5.3, 20.5, and 26.9 kg ha–1, respectively, and each value differed from the other. Thus, weeds can be managed in corn, gross margins increased, and herbicide use decreased by employing a bioeconomic weed-corn model to make weed management decisions.

Keywords

CornZea mays L. ‘Pioneer 3906’Interdisciplinary weed researchweed seed banksgross marginherbicide use
Type
Special Topics
Information
Weed Science , Volume 39 , Issue 1 , March 1991 , pp. 124 - 129
Copyright
Copyright © 1991 by the Weed Science Society of America 

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References

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