The Value of Herbicides in U'S' Crop Production

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The Value of Herbicides in U.S. Crop Production
National Center for Food and Agricultural
Policy Leonard Gianessi Sujatha Sankula
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NCFAP

• Private non-profit non-advocacy research
  organization established in 1992
• NCFAP maintains the only comprehensive national
  pesticide use database for the U.S.
• NCFAP receives funding support from U.S.
  governmental agencies, private corporations,
  industry trade organizations, and private
  foundations

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Herbicide Value Study

• Funded by CropLife America
• Reviewed and endorsed by 28 crop commodity
  organizations.

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Herbicides are chemicals that kill weeds

• 220 Million Acres
• 86 of all U.S. acreage
• 410 Million Lbs
• 2 lbs./ Acre
• 6.6 Billion/ Year
• 30/ Acre

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Weeds Herbicides

• 50 to 300 Million Buried Weed
  Seeds/Acre
• Average Infestation 2.5 Million Weeds/Acre
• Herbicides Kill 550 Trillion Weeds/Year

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NCFAP Study Provides Quantitative Answers

• What value do farmers receive from their purchase
  of herbicides?
• What value does U.S. society receive from the use
  of herbicides?
• What would be the impact if farmers stopped using
  herbicides?

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Study Methodology

• 40 Crops, 48 States
• Literature Review (400 citations)
• Historical
• Organic
• Integrate Herbicide Nonuse Studies
• 2 studies, Am. Farm Bureau Federation
• 5 studies, U.S. Department of Agriculture
• 1 study, Weed Science Society of America

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Yields Without Herbicides

• Loss
• California Onions -35
• Iowa Corn -25
• Michigan Potatoes -50
• Minnesota Wheat -30
• North Dakota Sugarbeets -24
• Ohio Soybeans -32
• Oregon Mint -58
• Texas Carrots -25
• Washington Asparagus -55

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Herbicide Replacements

• Handweeding Tillage
• (hours/A) (trips/A)
• Apples 20 2
• Grapes 8 2
• Hops 35 6
• Hot Peppers 60 0
• Raspberries 43 9

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Rice

• Historical
• yield 70 with herbicides
• Organic
• yield - 50
• Herbicide Nonuse Study
• yield - 53 (AFBF)
• NCFAP Study
• - 11 billion lbs. production (- 53)

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National Impacts Herbicide Nonuse

• Farm Net Income
• - 21 billion (- 40)
• Food Fiber Production
• - 288.5 billion lbs. (- 20)
• Soil Erosion
• 304 billion lbs. ( 15)
• Farm Labor
• 7 million workers ( 700)

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Hot Peppers New Mexico
Untreated
Yield Impact 200
Herbicide Treated
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Green Beans New York
Untreated
Herbicide Treated
Yield Impact 100
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Blueberries Maine
Untreated
Herbicide Treated
Yield Impact 300
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Wheat
Herbicide Treated
Untreated
Impact of Uncontrolled Weeds No Harvest
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HistoricalHerbicides Replaced Handweeding

• Carrots 28 hours/A
• Celery 60 hours/A
• Cotton 30 hours/A
• Mint 18 hours/A
• Onions 120 hours/A
• Sugarbeets 31 hours/A
• Sugarcane 55 hours/A

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Historical Handhoeing
30 Hours/Acre _at_ 0.10/Hour 3.00/Acre
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U.S. Hired Farm Worker Wage Rate


/Hour
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Contemporary Handhoeing
30 Hours/Acre _at_ 9/Hour 270/Acre
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Organic Handweeding Instead of Herbicides

• Apples 20 hours/A
• Cotton 30 hours/A
• Onions 73 hours/A
• Peanuts 107 hours/A
• Tomatoes 15 hours/A

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Killing Weeds the Organic Way
950/Acre more than herbicides
www.ebfarm.com
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Cropland Acreage Trends
Million Acres
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NCFAP Study Finding
A significant expansion of organic crop acreage
in the U.S. is unlikely due to the high cost of
handhoeing to kill weeds.
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Weeds Prevent Crop Planting
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PreplantWeed Control
Herbicide Treatment
Tillage
Impact - 5,800 Lbs. Erosion/Acre
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Soil Erosion Degrades Water Quality
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No Till Farming

• 52 Million Acres
• Weeds Killed with Herbicides
• 304 Billion Lbs. of Erosion Prevented

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NCFAP Study Finding

• Herbicides are essential if the U.S. is to
  maintain current crop yields.

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Economic ImpactHerbicide Nonuse by State
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