An Economic Analysis of Integrated Weed Management in Australian Cropping Systems

Abstract

Weeds are an important issue to Australian agricultural production systems. Weeds impose costs through reductions in yield and quality of production, increases in the input requirements for control and, in extreme weed-affected situations, the cost of adjustment to new production systems. One of the major reasons that weeds impose economic costs is because they compete for light, nutrients and water in agricultural systems. The effect of this competition is the consumption of these resources that would otherwise be available for crop growth, thus resulting in a reduction in crop yield. To alleviate the weed competition problem, farmers use a range of options for weed control. ... The aim of the study is to determine the features of an optimal weed management strategy for Australian cropping systems. To address this aim, the study will specifically focus upon the issues of the potential economic benefits of IWM and whether economic frameworks for assessing the benefits of weed control technologies (including IWM) should be static (ie. single year) or dynamic (ie. multiple years).