Agronomic benefits of conventional uses of glyphosate

1. Agronomic benefits
of conventional
uses of glyphosate
Jaime Costa, PhD
March 23rd, 2010
Regulatory & Scientific Affairs Manager
Monsanto Spain & Portugal

2. Contents
Early use to cope with manpower reduction and the weakness of
other herbicides (1975-1985)
Optimized application brings use expansion in larger surfaces and
some not anticipated benefits (1980-1995)
Lower prices following competition with generic products leads to
higher intensity of use (1990-2005)
Growing stewardship needs, under frequent use and lower
number of alternative low cost herbicides (2005-2010).

3. Roundup® introduction
Solution vs. growing infestations
of Agropyron (Elymus) repens and
other perennial weeds in arable
crops.
The trend to higher fertilizer rates
and shorter varieties of cereals
increased the pressure of weeds
Avg. wheat yields in Europe
in t/ha (Oerke et al., 1994)
5
4
3
2
1
0
1950
1955
1960
1965
1970
1975
1980
1985
1990

4. Roundup® introduction
Growing infestations of Sorghum
halep., Paspalum spp. and Cyperus
rotundus in irrigated orchards.
Control of growing infestations of
Cynodon dactylon and Convolvulus
arvensis in vineyards and olives.

5. Comparative evolution in Spain of prices for
Roundup®, diesel and manpower (in today €)
Need to optimize applications to gain new uses
30.00
1 l Roundup
25.00
20.00
10 l diesel
15.00
10.00
5.00 1 day salary
(minimum
0.00 wage)
1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2009

6. Optimized timing
for application
Fully developed perennial weeds
(unless drought stressed)
Best performance in preharvest
applications
Faster harvest, lower need for drying
and lower mycotoxin risks
Couch population highly correlated (R2
= 0,9572) with yield loss in wheat:
% yield loss
50 2000’s 1990’s 1980’s
40
30
20
10
0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120
Couch shoots /m2

7. Harvest aid glyphosate benefits
Excellent fit in olives, hazelnuts…
Facilitates mechanical harvests
Reduced manpower cost
Reduced yield losses.

8. Easier management
in orchards and vines
Need to access lower branches
Less diseases or pests under the row
Faster mowing or cultivation.

9. Optimized application equipment
Low volume applications (< 300 l/ha)
Shielded sprayers for directed applications in sensitive crops
ULV controlled droplet applications (20 l/ha)
Wipers for contact applications.

10. Cost and operator safety benefits in citrus
(data from IVIA expert Dr. Gómez de Barreda, 1981)
200 Total cost in €/ha
Manpower hours/ha
150
100
50
0
Mechanical No tillage No tillage
cultivation with with CDA
knapsack applications
herbicide
applications

11. Other benefits in citrus
Excellent safety for maturing fruits
Better fit with part time agriculture
Ridge maintenance under flood
irrigation
Best compatibility with drip irrigation

12. Other benefits in orchards and vines
Best compatibility with drip irrigation
Compatibility with stony soils.

13. Non crop applications
Improved safety for roads, streets and
other non crop areas
Reduced cost (and risk) for operators
Lower risk formulations available, for
best compatibility with aquatic wildlife.

14. Comparative evolution in Spain of prices for
Roundup®, diesel and manpower (in today €)
Proliferation of generic products
30.00
Lower prices facilitate more
benefits as tillage replacement
1 l Roundup
25.00
20.00
10 l diesel
15.00
10.00
5.00 1 day salary
(minimum
0.00 wage)
1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2009

15. Pre plant or
pre-emergence
control in annual crops
Quicker planting operations
Cleaner start with all the
moisture
Stale seedbed for control of
weeds resistant to other
herbicides (Alopecurus,
Bromus, etc.)
Breaking the green bridge for
better control of pests and
diseases.

16. Less manpower, lower
CO2 emissions and more
moisture and biodiversity
with conservation tillage
More details by AEAC/SV Director
Particular benefits for contractors.

17. Benefits of glyphosate and no-tillage in olives
(according to data from M. Pastor in Olivae, 1990-1991 and 1997)
140 Relative yield of
olives
120 Fuel consumption
l/ha
Total cost equiv.
100 €/ha
80
60
40
20
0
Conventional No tillage with
tillage bare soil

18. Olive –shallow roots- responds very well to no-tillage
Highest risk of soil erosion in cultivated olives

19. Erosion control
in perennial crops
Temporary green cover
Glyphosate use to control at the end
of winter the green vegetation strips
between the rows of olives

20. Erosion control and more biodiversity
in perennial crops
Vegetation management in vineyard

21. Selective applications in
forestry, pastures and
protected areas
Stump treatments to control regrowth
No spray, no drift, lowest exposure
Improved formulations without risk
pictograms.

22. Improved, low risk formulations,
available for use in sensitive areas
Benefits not recognized in
application exposure models
or regulation of empty
packages
Classified risk of several of
our glyphosate formulations
increases when the bottle is
empty!

23. Directed applications
in annual crops
Diverse types of equipment for
selective use of glyphosate.
Preharvest use in maize is
easier to perform than selective
in-crop application
Farmers welcome new tools for
control of Datura, Xanthium,
Abutilon and other new weeds.

24. Comparative evolution in Spain of prices for
Roundup®, diesel and manpower (in today €)
Lower number of
alternative low cost
30.00 a.i.’s
Focus on stewardship 1 l Roundup
25.00
20.00
10 l diesel
15.00
10.00
5.00 1 day salary
(minimum
0.00 wage)
1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2009

25. Continued benefits
under increased
stewardship after 2005
Acceptable operator exposure in
applications of undiluted Roundup®
Management of some cases of
glyphosate resistance (Lolium and
Conyza).

26. Continued benefits
under increased
stewardship after 2005
BAP traning for compliance with
established tolerances
More contribution to biodiversity
through conservation agriculture.

27. Helping the trend for a more affordable food
also in the next century
(data on real prices in the US from CAST Issue Paper 45, , 2010)

28. Thank you!