title: Herbicides do not ensure for higher wheat yield, but eliminate rare plant species.
abstract: Weed control is generally considered to be essential for crop production and herbicides have become the main method used for weed control in developed countries. However, concerns about harmful environmental consequences have led to strong pressure on farmers to reduce the use of herbicides. As food demand is forecast to increase by 50% over the next century, an in-depth quantitative analysis of crop yields, weeds and herbicides is required to balance economic and environmental issues. This study analysed the relationship between weeds, herbicides and winter wheat yields using data from 150 winter wheat fields in western France. A Bayesian hierarchical model was built to take account of farmers' behaviour, including implicitly their perception of weeds and weed control practices, on the effectiveness of treatment. No relationship was detected between crop yields and herbicide use. Herbicides were found to be more effective at controlling rare plant species than abundant weed species. These results suggest that reducing the use of herbicides by up to 50% could maintain crop production, a result confirmed by previous studies, while encouraging weed biodiversity. Food security and biodiversity conservation may, therefore, be achieved simultaneously in intensive agriculture simply by reducing the use of herbicides.
authors.affiliation: Agroécologie, AgroSup Dijon, INRA, Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, F-21000 Dijon, France.|LTER « Zone Atelier Plaine &Val de Sèvre », Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS, F-79360 Villiers-en-Bois, France.
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gaba
authors.affiliation: Avignon University, LMA EA2151, F-84900 Avignon, France.
authors.forename: Edith
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gabriel
authors.affiliation: Statistics, UR1052, 84143 Montfavet cedex, France.
authors.forename: Joël
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chadœuf
authors.affiliation: Avignon University, LMA EA2151, F-84900 Avignon, France.
authors.forename: Florent
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bonneu
authors.affiliation: LTER « Zone Atelier Plaine &Val de Sèvre », Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS, F-79360 Villiers-en-Bois, France.|Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS &Université de La Rochelle, UMR 7372, 79360 Beauvoir sur Niort, France.
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bretagnolle
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture / Q000379:methods; D044822:Biodiversity; D000069599:Crop Production / Q000379:methods; D018556:Crops, Agricultural / Q000254:growth & development; D019049:Developed Countries; D000067565:Farmers; D005602:France; D053209:Herbicide Resistance / Q000502:physiology; D006540:Herbicides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D057685:Plant Weeds / Q000187:drug effects*; D006109:Poaceae / Q000187:drug effects; D012621:Seasons; D014908:Triticum / Q000254:growth & development*; D058728:Weed Control / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D006540:Herbicides