Theses and Dissertations

Issuing Body

Mississippi State University

Advisor

Shaw, R. David

Committee Member

Reynolds, B. Daniel

Committee Member

Ervin, N. Gary

Committee Member

Ibendahl, Gregory

Committee Member

Byrd Jr., D. John

Date of Degree

8-7-2010

Document Type

Graduate Thesis - Open Access

Major

Weed Science

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

College

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Department

Department of Plant and Soil Sciences

Abstract

The introduction of glyphosate-resistant (GR) crops in the late 1990s changed the way producers used herbicides to control weeds. Since the introduction of GR crops producers have relied on glyphosate alone for weed control instead of utilizing multiple modes of action for weed control. This over-reliance resulted in several weed species developing resistance to glyphosate. This has resulted in organizations from the public and private sector questioning the sustainability of GR cropping systems. Researchers from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Mississippi, Nebraska, and North Carolina established 156 onarm trials to determine the sustainability of GR cropping systems. The objectives of this study were: to determine the economics of a university weed resistance best management practice (BMP) versus a producers’ normal production practice; to evaluate when a producer that is risk neutral (profit maximizing) or risk averse should adopt a weed resistance BMP; and to compare the influences of using a university weed resistance BMP to a producer’s normal production practice on the 27 most common weed species in Mississippi. In all instances, the university weed resistance BMP utilized multiple modes of action in conjunction with glyphosate. A university weed resistance BMP can provide the same level of control on 27 of the most common weeds in Mississippi that a producer has become accustomed to with a glyphosate alone system, while delaying or controlling GR weeds. A university weed resistance BMP resulted in an increase in weed control cost, but similar yields and economic returns when compared to a producer’s normal production practice. Rotating a GR crop with a different GR crop resulted in higher economic returns when compared to a continuous GR cropping system or a GR crop followed by a non-GR crop rotation. Producers are often reluctant to adopt a weed resistance BMP because of the perceived increased cost for weed control. A risk neutral or risk averse producer should adopt a weed resistance BMP and feel confident that their decision will provide weed control equivalent to a glyphosate alone weed control program before resistance developed, delay or control GR weeds and be economically sound.

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11668/15331

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