Abstract
BACKGROUND: Atrazine and other triazine herbicides are widely used in US maize and sorghum production, yet the most recent market-level assessment of the economic benefits of atrazine is for market conditions prevalent in the early 1990s, before commercialization of transgenic crops. Grain markets have changed substantially since that time; for example, the size of the US maize market increased by 170% from 1990-1992 to 2007-2009. This paper reports a current assessment of the economic benefits of atrazine. RESULTS: Yield increases and cost changes implied by triazine herbicides are projected to reduce maize prices by 7-8% and sorghum prices by 19-20%. Projected consumer benefits from lower prices range from $US 3.6 to 4.4 × 10(9) annually, with the net projected economic benefit for triazine herbicides to the US economy ranging from $US 2.9 to 3.4 × 10(9) annually because lower prices imply reduced producer income. Productivity gains from triazine herbicides maintain an estimated 270 000-390 000 ha of land in non-crop uses that generate environmental benefits not accounted for in this analysis. CONCLUSION: Even in the current era, with transgenic varieties dominating crop production, atrazine and the other triazine herbicides continue to be a key part of maize and sorghum production and generate substantial economic benefits.
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Claims 6
Claim · model-written summary
Triazine-related yield and cost changes are projected to lower maize prices by 7-8%.
Zea maysNot reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Yield increases and cost changes implied by triazine herbicides are projected to reduce maize prices by 7-8%”
Claim · model-written summary
Triazine-related changes are projected to lower sorghum prices by 19-20%.
SorghumNot reportedTreatmentComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“and sorghum prices by 19-20%”
Claim · model-written summary
Projected annual consumer benefits range from $US 3.6 to 4.4 × 10(9).
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“Projected consumer benefits from lower prices range from $US 3.6 to 4.4 × 10(9) annually”
Claim · model-written summary
Projected annual net economic benefit ranges from $US 2.9 to 3.4 × 10(9).
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“the net projected economic benefit for triazine herbicides to the US economy ranging from $US 2.9 to 3.4 × 10(9) annually”
Claim · model-written summary
Triazine productivity gains are estimated to keep 270 000-390 000 ha in non-crop use.
- Treatment
- triazine herbicidese0
- Outcome
- land in non-crop usese0
- Direction
- maintaine0
- Value
- 270 000-390 000 hae0
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“Productivity gains from triazine herbicides maintain an estimated 270 000-390 000 ha of land in non-crop uses”
Claim · model-written summary
Triazines remain a key production input and provide substantial economic benefits.
- Outcome
- key part of maize and sorghum productione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“atrazine and the other triazine herbicides continue to be a key part of maize and sorghum production and generate substantial economic benefits”
The same questions in other papers
herbicide · organism · Zea mays (maize)Positive and negative results
29 papers in the same direction as this paper · 16 in the opposite direction · 1 reporting no difference from an alternative
- negative
- negative
- no effect
43 papers more in this group
See all 47 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.