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Title: A COMPUTER PROGRAM TO HELP GROWERS ASSESS THE BENEFITS OF SITE-SPECIFIC WEED MANAGEMENT IN THEIR CORN FIELDS.

Author
item Wiles, Lori
item FLYNN, B. - CSU
item FENCL, G. - CSU
item WESTRA, P.L - CSU
item KELLY, E. - CSU

Submitted to: Weed Science Society of America Meeting Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/14/2000
Publication Date: 2/14/2000
Citation: Wiles, L., Flynn, B.L., Fencl, G., Westra, P., Kelly, E.F. 2000. A computer program to help growers assess the benefits of site-specific weed management in their corn fields.. Weed Science Society of America Meeting Abstracts.

Interpretive Summary: Not required for an abstract

Technical Abstract: Many growers may be able to reduce herbicide use and its risks with site- specific weed management. This strategy requires new tecnologies and learning to map the distribution of weeds within fields since treatment is limited to areas of the field where weed pressure exceeds the economic threshold for control, and within those areas, management is varied according to the number and species of weeds. Growers may be reluctant to try this more management-intensive strategy without information about how much herbicide use may be reduced and how well weeds will be controlled with site-specific management of weed populations like those in their fields. We have developed a computer program to help CO and NE growers and agricultural consultants learn about site-specific weed management and assess its benefits for soil-applied and postemergence weed management in corn fields. The program links a GIS model for drawing and displaying weed dmaps and maps of site-specific management units to a decision model for weed management in irrigated corn in Colorado. Users draw maps of the weed populations in their fields to produce maps to compare profit, yield, herbicide use and weeds escaping control with uniform herbicide application and 4 different types of site-specific management. The program was designed for personal computers and doesn't require GPS coordinates for weed maps so that growers and consultants can investigate the value of site-specific management of the weed populations in their fields before investing in GPS and GIS technology.