Jim cited several papers on Roundup yields. Unfortunately again, it’s a complete wizard of OZ type misdirection.
Roundup is not cited as a yield increaser. Never really has been. It is a transgenic experiment that didn’t lead to yield failures, which is in itself ground breaking. Roundup 2 is the new one, and does actually claim some yield bumps, but back to topic. Of course one can always debate what increase comes from weed free fields, but in a hand tilled head to head, no RR crops show no increases and in some cases a slight decrease. Try that on 100 acres of river bottoms with sedge grass and your answer is different.
3/4 of the pesticide control; in my area is herbicides (it varies with regions) Roundup and GLY in general help the bottom line by reducing field passes and herbicide control. Roundup is CHEAP. Specialized grass and broadleaf killers are not, and normally require separate applications.
So, when we look at "the bottom line" as Jim points pout, as we should, its not about increased yields, its about decreased inputs. Typicaly here we figure 5-7.00 per acre per pass, things like Roundup and Dicamba (not a fan yet) can eliminate up to 4 passes a year very easily, add to that the speed and weight of a spray rig, and fuel and soil compaction are a non issue. This can mean 5- 30.00 per acre swing in the right direction. Roundup cost is normally about 7.00 per acre. Simply put if Roundup eliminates one pass with the disk/tractor it’s a wash. Most pre disk operations would reguire at least 2 passes for good weed elimination.
In my area it also allows winter annuals to grow, and eliminates at least 2 tillage passes, and allows that wonderful "no till" to be possible. So for soil conservation, again, roundup has been a game changer.
All due respect to Jim, but the data on yields is a red herring. I appreciate him pointing out what too many non AG people believe!
I stand by the claim, as does much of the AG community that the concepts of Roundup, and the execution has had a profound positive effect on whats possible, what happens, and where we are headed. Just the ability to successfully do no till alone has an effect the average layperson would not understand. Too bad its probably in its dying phase right now. Too many weeds have developed to resist it.
I would also take a bit of exception to ET's assessment of the effects of large scale AG, as stewards of the land, large scale is a much better option while all those small farms are quaint, and picturesque, they were also a bastion of inefficiency and land waste. It is a point that can be debated, but with low food prices and top quality products, and best conservation of land usage, bigger farms win hands down.
Charles
https://talk.newagtalk.com/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=684514&DisplayType=flat
https://extension.usu.edu/boxelder/ou-files/GrainCorn16.pdf
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