Economic Incentives and Weed Resistance Management

Since the commercial introduction of transgenic, herbicide-resistant cultivars, there has been a pervasive reduction in the diversity of weed control tactics used in cotton, soybeans, and corn.  Increased reliance on a narrow range of tactics and herbicide mechanisms of action has contributed to a predictable rise in the incidence of weed resistance. Although many growers have adopted many best management practices (BMPs), whose effect is to delay resistance, the available data suggest that most growers are not adopting those BMPs most crucial for successful resistance management, particularly use of multiple herbicides expressing diverse mechanisms of action. Growers will not adopt resistance manage practices unless they have economic incentives to do so. Clearly economic considerations affect growers’ choices of weed management practices. This study examines economic factors that can constrain BMP adoption and discusses policy options to align private incentives for resistance management with the social objective of preserving the effectiveness of weed control strategies.