Future Needs in Weed Science

Abstract

Losses due to weeds in the United States and the cost of their control are now more than $20 billion annually (35). Of this total, $13 billion represents a 10% annual loss in agricultural production that includes not only the direct competition of weeds to reduce crop yields but also the reduced quality of produce, livestock losses, and increased cost of fertilizer, irrigation, harvesting, grain drying, transportation, and storage. In addition, farmers spend more than $7.2 billion to control weeds each year. About 43% of the expenditures to control weeds is the retail cost of herbicides, $3.1 billion, in 1980 (15). The value of herbicides sold in 1984 will probably be about 15% higher than in 1980. An additional $4.1 billion represents the cost of tillage and hand labor required for weed control (35). The total loss of over $20 billion represents an indirect annual weed tax of about $85 on each individual living in the United States.