The 120,000,000 dollar pest

摘要

Perhaps you're taking the Alfred E. Neuman approach to herbicide-resistant weeds: "What, me worry?" If so, Tennessee farmers can give you 120 million reasons why that won't work. Back in 2011, Larry Steckel, University of Tennessee Extension weed specialist, calculated that glyphosate-resistant weeds cost Tennessee soybean production $120 million annually. Here's how. Herbicide costs ran $72,000,000. That's based on a $45-per-acre cost across 1.6 million soybean acres. Herbicide application tallied $8,000,000. That's based on $5 costs across the same acre amount. Weed competition losses cost $40,000,000. That's assuming 30% of impacted acres lose 17% of 35-bushel-per-acre yields at a $14-per-bushel soybean price.