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The Concept and Application of Early Economic Period Threshold: The Case of DCPA in Onions (Allium Cepa)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 June 2017

Claudio M. Dunan ,
Philip Westra ,
Edward E. Schweizer ,
Donald W. Lybecker  and
Frank D. Moore III
Claudio M. Dunan
Affiliation:
Dep. of Plant Pathol. and Weed Sci., Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins, CO 80523
Philip Westra
Affiliation:
Dep. of Plant Pathol. and Weed Sci, Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins, CO 80523
Edward E. Schweizer
Affiliation:
Agric. Res. Serv., U.S. Dep Agric., Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins, CO 80523
Donald W. Lybecker
Affiliation:
Dep Agric. and Res. Econ., Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins, CO 80523
Frank D. Moore III
Affiliation:
Dep. of Hortic., Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins, CO 80523
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Abstract

The question of when to control weeds traditionally has been approached with the calculation of critical periods (CP) based on crop yields. The concept of economic critical period (ECP) and early (EEPT) and late (LEFT) economic period thresholds are presented as a comprehensive approach to answer the same question based on economic losses and costs of control. ECP is defined as the period when the benefit of controlling weeds is greater than its cost. EEPT and LEFT are the limits of the ECP and can be used to determine when first and last weed control measures should be performed. Calculation of EEPT accounts for the economic losses due to weed competition that occur between planting and postemergence weed control. In this way it is possible to better evaluate the economic feasibility of using preplant or preemergence control tactics. The EEPT for DCPA application is analyzed in the context of onion production in Colorado. The EEPT for DCPA application was calculated from an empirical regression model that assessed the impact of weed load and time of weed removal on onion yields. The EEPT was affected by control efficacy, weed-free yield, DCPA cost, and onion price. DCPA application was economically advisable in only one of 20 fields analyzed because of the tow DCPA efficacy (60%).

Keywords

DCPA, dimethyl 2,3,5,6-tetrachloro-1,4-benzenedicarboxylateonion (Allium cepa L.)Economic critical periodeconomic thresholdHELANmodel
Type
Weed Management
Information
Weed Science , Volume 43 , Issue 4 , December 1995 , pp. 634 - 639
Copyright
Copyright © 1995 by the Weed Science Society of America 

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