The role and value of eastern star clover in managing herbicide-resistant crop weeds: A whole-farm analysis
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
8-26-2008
Journal Title
Agricultural Systems
ISSN
ISSN 0308-521X eISSN 1873-2267
Keywords
Weed control, Herbicide resistance, Farm modelling, Innovation adoption, Sheep
Disciplines
Agribusiness | Agricultural Economics | Agricultural Science | Agronomy and Crop Sciences | Environmental Indicators and Impact Assessment | Environmental Monitoring | Natural Resources Management and Policy | Plant Biology | Weed Science
Abstract
In the broadacre dryland farming system of Western Australia herbicide resistance in major crop weeds is an increasingly serious problem. A new option to combat herbicide resistance involves growing eastern star clover (Trifolium dasyurum). This is a new pasture legume with a unique delayed germination that allows control of weeds using various chemical and non-chemical strategies, without unduly compromising the pasture’s subsequent production. This study assesses the role and value of eastern star clover in managing herbicide-resistant weeds on various farms. The study employs the farming system model known as MIDAS, a whole-farm, bioeconomic model. Key scenarios of different degrees of severity of herbicide resistance for three farm types are examined. The main findings of the analysis are that as the severity of herbicide resistance increases, eastern star clover becomes an increasingly attractive option. Although the introduction of eastern star clover does reduce a farm’s capacity to carry sheep, and thereby lessens profits generated by the sheep enterprise, it enables longer, more profitable sequences of crops to be grown with fewer weed problems. Sensitivity analysis suggests that reduced cost of eastern star clover seed, cheap supplementary feed, and higher grain prices will further increase the profitability of eastern star clover.
Recommended Citation
Lauren Gibson, Ross Kingwell, Graeme Doole, The role and value of eastern star clover in managing herbicide-resistant crop weeds: A whole-farm analysis, Agricultural Systems, Volume 98, Issue 3, 2008, Pages 199-207, ISSN 0308-521X, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2008.07.002.
