GESTINF: A decision model for post-emergence weed management in soybean (Glycine max (L) Merr)

The selection of the best weed control option can be improved using decision-support systems considering the different factors affecting the efficacy (weed species, growth stage, climatic conditions) and the economics of the treatments. An interactive microcomputer program called GESTINF has been developed to assist in the selection of weed control options in soybean and winter wheat. Using observed weed densities, crop weed-free yield and grain price as input data, the program estimates potential crop damage from multispecies weed complexes and ranks the different weed control options according to expected net returns. The program also gives estimates of yield loss due to weeds surviving the treatment and an environmental index indicating how hazardous the treatment is for the water-table, thus allowing a selection of treatments both on an economic and an environmental basis. The system has been tested for 4 years in different locations of north-eastern Italy. The system forecasted the yield losses observed in the field fairly accurately and proved capable of selecting appropriate interventions on the basis of type of flora and weed growth stage. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.