Journal Article

Herbicides do not ensure for higher wheat yield, but eliminate rare plant species

Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé - UMR 7372 (CEBC) ; Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-La Rochelle Université (ULR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), INRA - Mathématiques et Informatique Appliquées (Unité MIAJ) ; Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Bonneu, Florent, Agroécologie [Dijon] ; Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Université de Bourgogne (UB)-AgroSup Dijon - Institut National Supérieur des Sciences Agronomiques, de l'Alimentation et de l'Environnement, Chadoeuf, Joel, J, Bretagnolle, Vincent, V, EA2151 Laboratoire de Mathématiques d'Avignon (LMA) ; Avignon Université (AU), Gabriel, Edith, Gaba, Sabrina, S, This research project was supported by INRA (SG, JC), CNRS (VB) and Avignon University (EG, FB) and partly funded by ANR AGROBIOSPHERE AGROBIOSE (AGRO-2013-001)

2016

Overview

Weed control is generally considered to be essential for crop production and herbicides have become the main method used for weed control in developed countries. However, concerns about harmful environmental consequences have led to strong pressure on farmers to reduce the use of herbicides. As food demand is forecast to increase by 50% over the next century, an in-depth quantitative analysis of crop yields, weeds and herbicides is required to balance economic and environmental issues. This study analysed the relationship between weeds, herbicides and winter wheat yields using data from 150 winter wheat fields in western France. A Bayesian hierarchical model was built to take account of farmers’ behaviour, including implicitly their perception of weeds and weed control practices, on the effectiveness of treatment. No relationship was detected between crop yields and herbicide use. Herbicides were found to be more effective at controlling rare plant species than abundant weed species. These results suggest that reducing the use of herbicides by up to 50% could maintain crop production, a result confirmed by previous studies, while encouraging weed biodiversity. Food security and biodiversity conservation may, therefore, be achieved simultaneously in intensive agriculture simply by reducing the use of herbicides.

• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group,CCSD,Nature Publishing Group UK
• Subject: 631/158/2456 / 631/158/670 / Agricultural sciences / Agriculture - methods / Agronomy / Biodiversity / Crop Production - methods / Crops, Agricultural - growth & development / Developed Countries / Farmers / France / Herbicide Resistance - physiology / Herbicides - pharmacology / Humanities and Social Sciences / Life Sciences / multidisciplinary / Plant Weeds - drug effects / Poaceae - drug effects / Science / Science (multidisciplinary) / Seasons / Triticum - growth & development / Weed Control - methods
• ISBN: 0003802068000