Why is the cost per acre of herbicide for nonGMO soybeans 40 compared with 18 for GMO?

Expert response from Community Manager

Thursday, 02/08/2018 15:15

Herbicide cost per acre depends on a wide number of variables including (but not limited to) weed species present, farm location, timing of application, crop seeding rate, competitiveness of crop, herbicides used, length of growing season in that location, etc.

Thinking about herbicide cost is only one of many factors to consider regarding input cost as well as revenue expectations. There are fertility costs, seed costs (including traits), fuel costs, cost of insect and disease management, application costs, harvest costs, etc.

There are also considerations on the value side. For example, what is the yield potential of the soybean variety in a specific area and what is the current price per bushel for soybeans. How much are farmers willing to spend on weed control to protect yield potential?

Farmers can get higher prices in some areas for non-GMO identity preserved soybeans which may be an encouragement to spend more for weed control to get cleaner soybeans and higher soybean yield. Planting non-GMO soybeans reduces the number of herbicide products that may be available to obtain weed control. Depending upon weeds species in those fields, not having access to those herbicide products may affect the overall cost of weed control.

Best management practices for obtaining excellent weed control include using sound agronomic practices as well as herbicides with multiple effective modes of action. The goal is to obtain great weed control in the current crop and help preserve the use of weed control tools for the production of many future crops.