WEED BENEFITS AND COSTS IN RICE AND WHEAT PRODUCTION IN INDIA

The benefits and costs of weed control in rice and wheat were compared with the benefits of harvesting weeds for livestock fodder plus rice and wheat. If a farmer needs livestock fodder plus rice and wheat grain, then harvesting weeds plus rice and wheat grain is as profitable as intensive weeding and harvesting only rice and wheat grain. The energy and economic returns for manual weed control equalled those for herbicide use. However, manual weed control is more profitable for small Third World farmers.