How many farmers use roundup

ERS analyses show that weed control strategies over 20 years that manage glyphosate resistance differ from those that ignore glyphosate resistance by using glyphosate during fewer years, by often combining glyphosate with one or more alternative herbicides, and by not applying glyphosate during consecutive growing seasons.

Initiating resistance management reduces returns compared to ignoring resistance in the first year, but increases them in subsequent years, as the value of crop yield gains outweighs increases in weed management cost.

Precision agriculture is a set of practices used to manage fields by assessing variations in nutrient needs, soil qualities, and pest pressures. Some technologies have been rapidly adopted; in particular, 42 percent of peanut farms used auto-steer or guidance systems in , up from 5 percent in These systems can reduce stress for operators and limit the over-application of inputs on field edges.

Yield monitors and yield maps, with essentially no usage in , were used on 8 and 6 percent of farms, respectively, in With these technologies, monitors can identify within-field yield variations so farmers can adjust inputs and practices accordingly. The use of variable rate application, which has increased from 3 to 22 percent of farms, allows for the adjustment of fertilizer application over a field so that fertilizer can be applied where and when it is needed, thus reducing costs and being more environmentally friendly.

Recent data from the Agricultural Resource Management Survey ARMS suggest that glyphosate resistant weeds are more prevalent in soybean than in corn production. Glyphosate, known by many trade names including Roundup , has been the most widely used pesticide in the United States since It effectively controls many weed species and generally costs less than the herbicides it replaced.

Overall, glyphosate was used on a higher proportion of soybean than corn acres, and it was used alone not in combination with other herbicides on a substantially higher proportion of soybean acres. Using glyphosate alone contributes to resistance. Agricultural businesses, particularly those specializing in crop production, are heavy users of energy and energy-intensive inputs.

Ignoring the energy embodied in purchased machinery and services, energy-based purchases accounted for over 25 percent of farm operator expenses in , on average. While motor fuel accounts for about 6 percent of operator expenses, the farm sector is a heavy indirect consumer of natural gas. For example, up to 80 percent of the manufacturing cost of fertilizer can be for natural gas. Expenditures for fertilizer were over 11 percent of total operator expenses among farm businesses in , with much higher expenditures for most crop farms.

Natural gas as a source of electric power has been increasing in recent years, reaching 27 percent of electricity generation in As a result, the farm sector is particularly sensitive to fluctuations in the price of natural gas. Environmental Protection Agency established limits for nutrient and sediment emissions from point e.

Agriculture is the largest single source of nutrient emissions in the watershed. About 19 percent of all cropped acres in the Chesapeake Bay watershed are critically undertreated, meaning that the management practices in place are inadequate for preventing significant losses of pollutants from these fields. Critically undertreated acres are not distributed among the four sub-basins in the same way as cropland.

For example, the Susquehanna watershed contains 69 percent of critically undertreated acres but only 41 percent of cropland. Targeting conservation resources to highly vulnerable regions could improve the economic performance of environmental policies and programs. Corn is the most widely planted crop in the U. By using this fertilizer, farmers can produce high crop yields profitably; however nitrogen is also a source of environmental degradation when it leaves the field through runoff or leaching or as a gas.

Nitrogen management practices that minimize environmental losses of nitrogen include applying only the amount of nitrogen needed for crop growth agronomic rate , not applying nitrogen in the fall for a crop planted in the spring, and injecting or incorporating fertilizer into the soil rather than leaving it on top of the soil. In , about 66 percent of all U. Corn Acres , , EB, November Genetically engineered GE crops are being developed with various traits; the most widely-adopted GE crops to date are designed to help farmers control insect and weed pests.

To control insect damage, Bt corn is genetically engineered to carry the gene from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis, which produces a protein that is toxic when ingested by certain insects.

Bt corn with traits to control the European corn borer was introduced commercially in , with additional traits to control other types of insects introduced beginning in Farmers planting Bt crops benefit from decreased dependence on weather conditions affecting the timing and effectiveness of traditional insecticide applications because the Bt toxin remains active in the plant throughout the crop year.

By improving pest control, Bt corn produces higher yields when pest infestation is a problem. More than 60 percent of U. Pesticide use in U. Over this period, the share of planted acres treated with herbicides for weed control increased, as did the total planted acreage of corn, wheat, and particularly soybeans, further increasing herbicide use.

Since , over 90 percent of corn, cotton, and soybean acres were treated with herbicides, leaving little room for increased use. The application of improved active ingredients, new modes of action having lower per-acre application rates, and recent technological innovations in pest management have also contributed to declining pesticide use.

While farmers have used insecticides and fungicides for many decades, the widespread use of herbicides is a more recent phenomenon, as weed control was previously achieved by cultivation and other methods.

Fertilizer prices have increased overall since , reaching historical highs in Fertilizers are an important input into farming and higher prices have forced farmers to alter their use. For most crops soy, cotton, and wheat farmers responded to higher prices by reducing their application rate.

However, the largest users of fertilizer—corn farmers—responded most often that they managed fertilizer use more closely, for example by using practices such as soil testing, split applications, variable-rate applications, or soil incorporation. Energy is used for agricultural production both directly, in the form of fuels and electricity to run farm machinery, and indirectly, through the use of energy-intensive inputs, such as fertilizers and pesticides employed to grow crops.

From to , direct energy use consistently accounted for most of the energy used in farming 63 percent in Fuel usage is the largest individual component of onfarm energy use, followed by indirect use through the energy embodied in fertilizers and pesticides.

In , higher prices led to a decline in fuel use. As energy prices rose during the last decade, farm operators adjusted their practices to reduce both direct and indirect energy use where possible. Effective measures taken by farmers to offset higher costs include applying fewer inputs, using more efficient machinery, and reducing field operations. Indeed, during a period in which U. This chart is found in the June issue of Amber Waves magazine.

It is also used on cereals and oilseed rape before harvest to help make harvesting easier, control weeds, reduce disease and the potential for natural contaminants to develop, and to curb the number of weeds in the following season. Glyphosate reduces the need for ploughing, which helps the environment through reducing CO2 emissions, minimising soil erosion, and improving soil quality. Regulatory bodies around the world have looked at the scientific evidence and concluded that glyphosate poses no risk to people when used correctly.

Inform the debate with our Glyphosate is Vital leaflet. How Glyphosate Works for Us All - download our infographic here. A recent review of the active ingredient glyphosate supports the conclusion that glyphosate-based products are safe when used as directed and recommends approval 'as an active substance to be used in plant protection products'.

Follow our live coverage for the latest news on the coronavirus pandemic. A ban on the controversial herbicides glyphosate and paraquat would cost farmers hundreds of thousands of dollars annually, UWA research has found, as pressure builds for farmers to adopt alternative weed control measures.

Glyphosate, sold as Roundup, has been banned in dozens of countries worldwide and by multiple Australian local governments because of its toxicity to humans. Many Australian farmers use glyphosate alongside paraquat, a more toxic herbicide, to kill weeds prior to sowing their crops.

These losses would be greatest if the herbicides were banned in Australia but not worldwide, as this would disadvantage Australian farmers without raising international grain prices. As the number of countries banning glyphosate has grown, pressure has mounted to do the same in Australia, or at least reduce farmers' reliance on it, in order to protect health and maintain access to international markets. Even having suffered daily nosebleeds for 10 years after exposure to a paraquat-based herbicide, Grant Tuckwell doesn't think either chemical should be banned.

WA grain farmers "rely on herbicides to do the heavy lifting in terms of weed control and glyphosate is the number one go-to herbicide for them", Professor Beckie said. WA farmer Nick Kelly has a way of managing weeds without herbicide — he crowds them out of his fields by planting perennial summer pastures. His transition away from herbicides took a number of years but he claims his farm is profitable and believes other Wheatbelt farmers can do the same.

Whether Australian farmers will have to test these alternative tools, and the economic consequences if they do, remains to be seen.