KANSAS CITY, Mo. (DTN) -- New atrazine value studies by economists and academics show a $22 billion U.S. economic benefit over five years due to increased yields, decreased producer costs and reduced soil erosion, according to findings released Wednesday during a webcast news conference in Kansas City.

Five experts who authored white papers discussed their findings regarding this widely-used herbicide. "Growers have relied on atrazine and other triazines for more than 50 years as the foundation of corn, sorghum and sugar cane weed control," said David Bridges, president of University of Georgia's Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. "These products benefit food production, the environment and the economy -- and that means jobs."

Atrazine, the most researched crop protection chemical ever with more than 16,000 studies in support of continued registration, is under review by the EPA's Scientific Advisory Panel for potential health effects. Syngenta's principal scientist on atrazine, Tim Pastoor, recently told DTN that science supports its continued safe use and that EPA has a greater sense of confidence in its use.

Bridges' study found that if atrazine or triazine products were removed as a premix or tank-mix component from more than 40 different herbicides, corn growers would see a projected yield decline of 7.7 bushels/acre on average, according to his projections. In total, atrazine increases U.S. corn output by 600 million bushels per year. "That is equal to one-third of U.S. corn exports," Bridges said.

Based on yield loss and reduced herbicide cost models, University of Wisconsin ag economist Paul Mitchell estimates the economic value of yield losses prevented by triazine herbicides to range from $3 to $3.3 billion per year for U.S. corn, sorghum, sweet corn and sugarcane farmers.

Today's growing herbicide-resistant weed problems have further increased the value of this old reliable chemistry. Mike Owen, Iowa State University weed scientist, says atrazine plays an extremely important role in helping control the growing number of weeds that resist glyphosate herbicide.

"Atrazine provides a solution to control common waterhemp, Palmer pigweed, giant ragweed and marestail (horseweed) -- all problem glyphosate-resistant weeds which will have a significant impact on future production of food, feed, fiber and fuel," Owen said.

Consultant weed specialist Dick Fawcett cited the fact that, even after 50 years, atrazine still provides yield benefits due to its weed control efficacy. "While it's true there are newer active ingredients, almost all of them have weaknesses on specific weeds, and that's why atrazine makes all of them look better. And it is very economical," he said.

From an environmental perspective, use of atrazine has helped farmers cut erosion by adopting more conservation tillage practices. "Atrazine delivers good weed control performance in high residue crops, helping reduce sedimentation loss and herbicide concentration in lakes and rivers," Fawcett said.

According to Mitchell's case study, he found that triazine herbicides provide $3.8 to $4.8 billion per year total benefits to the U.S. economy.Because triazine herbicides increase the total supply of corn and sorghum, benefits accrue to consumers and end-users, especially the livestock and ethanol industries that are major users of corn. These consumer benefits are the sum of the benefits flowing to everyone along the supply chain -- livestock farmers, processors and handlers, distributors, retailers, and final consumers.

Triazine herbicides also reduce the use of tillage for crop production and the conversion of land to crop production, which reduces soil erosion from U.S. cropland by 56 to 85 million tons per year. Based on these reductions, triazine herbicides provide $210 to $350 million per year in benefits from reduced soil erosion as part of this total benefit to the U.S. economy. In addition, triazine herbicides reduce consumption of diesel fuel for tillage by 18 to 28 million gallons per year, implying a decrease in carbon dioxide emissions of 180,000 to 280,000 metric tons per year.

Jobs benefit, too. University of Chicago public policy professor Don Coursey conducted a job-impact study that shows an estimated 21,000 to 48,000 jobs would be wiped out if atrazine was banned for corn production. In 2009 figures, the cash equivalent of that loss would equal between $2.3 and $5 billion.

"There can be no doubt, based on these studies, that atrazine is contributing significantly to food production, environmental protection and jobs in the areas of its use," said Mitchell.

The papers are available at www.agritalk.com/atrazine http://www.agritalk.com/…. For more information about atrazine, visit www.atrazine.com http://www.atrazine.com/….

Kurt Lawton can be reached at kurt.lawton@telventdtn.com

(CZ/BS)

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