An economic and environmental assessment of a glyphosate ban for the example of maize production

Abstract

The effects of a glyphosate ban on cultivation of silage maize are simulated using a spatially explicit bio-economic model that accounts for different pre- and post-sowing weed control strategies and production risks. We analyse the effects of a glyphosate ban on farmers choices of field-level weed control strategies. These strategies are evaluated in two environmental dimensions. More specifically, we consider a pesticide load indicator to assess environmental toxicity, fate and human health effects as well as the energy demand of the agricultural system. We find that a glyphosate ban leads to a significant reduction of the pesticide load of silage maize production. However, a glyphosate ban also leads to somewhat higher energy consumption. Acknowledgement : We thank Ganga Ram Maharjan and Thomas Gaiser from the Crop Science Group of University of Bonn for providing yield data for this research. Furthermore, we thank the plant protection consultants of the Chamber of Agriculture of NRW and of the Chamber of Agriculture of Lower Saxony for providing valuable information supporting this research.