In addition to the independent studies listed within, further information can be found through the CropLife Foundation. A non-advocacy research and education non-profit, the CropLife Foundation promotes sustainable agriculture through sound science-based discovery.
Crop Protection Benefit Article of the Week
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Davis, Mike, Erik Sorensen; Joe Nunez (2000)
Fungicides are essential for optimizing carrot yields in the U.S. If all uses of fungicides were revoked, the annual loss in U.S. carrot production would be about 24%. If insecticide labels were revoked, annual losses would be about 12%. Herbicides are a standard tool for controlling weeds on nearly all U.S. carrot acreage. Without herbicides the national average yield loss would be more than 47%.
Smith, D.T. , et al. (2000)
Seed protectant fungicides are an important part of a total pest management program of peanut and may reduce the use of other pesticides later in the growing season. Seedling diseases cause yield losses of 1-2% in Georgia, with state-wide losses averaging $5.1 million annually. With untreated peanut seed, seedling survival was 18% lower, surviving plants showed less vigor, and the incidence of tomato spotted wilt virus was 33% greater. A survey of peanut shellers was conduced to determine the amount of fungicide usage and the important factors used in selecting particular fungicides for treating seed in the SW United States. A case study on the impact of seed treatments was conducted using 12 years of field performance data in an economic assessment. Peanut yields were 36% higher when captan-treated was compared with using untreated seed. Data available: treated and untreated crop production and economic assessment.
Branch, W.D., S.M. Fletcher (2001)
The objective of this study was to evaluate several advanced Georgia breeding lines when grown without nematicides, fungicides or insecticides. However, herbicides were used for weed control. Dollar values were low and variable with no pesticides because of an overall reduction in yield. An alternative approach for grower net returns possibly may be achieved by only reducing currently recommended input costs rather than eliminating pesticides. Data available: pesticide efficacy.
Gianessi, Leonard, Sujatha Sankula (2003)
To estimate the value of herbicides, their nonuse and replacement with available alternatives was simulated. Even though there is an equally effective alternative for most crops, hand weeding, cost and labor scarcity mean it is unlikely growers could substitute enough hand labor to maintain yields. If U.S. farmers employed an additional 7 million workers for hand weeding and increased cultivation, overall U.S. crop production would decline by 21%. Herbicide use has enabled US farmers to reduce tillage for weed control. Without herbicides, U.S. growers would no longer be able to practice no-till crop production. The abandonment of no-till farming would result in an increase of 304 billion pounds of soil erosion. Data available: herbicide use by state, weed species infestation by state, cropland erosion by state, manual labor by state.
Gianessi, Leonard, Nathan Reigner (2005)
For 231 diseases of fifty crops, fungicides are the primary defense from fungi. U.S. growers apply 108 million pounds of fungicides at a cost of $880 million. As a result of fungicide application, yields of most fruit and vegetable crops are increased by 50 to 95%. Growers gain $12.8 billion in increased production value from the use of fungicides. Organic growers use fungicides too, which further indicates their indispensability. Data available: crop yields, fungicides used in the U.S.
Lewis, Nancy M., Jamie Ruud (2005)
Lewis and Ruud discuss the many health benefits of blueberries including their unusually high levels of phytochemicals including several types of antioxidants, which can help prevent chronic diseases and cancers associated with oxidative stress and aging. Lewis attributes herbicides for more than doubling in wild blueberry production and subsequent increases in consumption to herbicide use for weed control.Article in English. Data Available: Blueberry production, consumption and nutritional values. Comparative nutritional value of blueberries with other fruits and vegetables.
Whitford, Fred, et al. (2006)
This paper summarizes the multiple benefits of pesticides including crop production, biodiversity and wildlife habitat preservation, public health, livestock health, protection of buildings, improvement of roads and power lines, and the societal benefit of freeing the public to work at tasks other than pest control.
