Two Approaches to Weed Control Decision-Aid Software

Abstract

The number of computer applications for purposes of weed control decisions has increased dramatically in the past eight yr. During this time, many efficacy-, and population-based weed control decision aids have been developed. The complexity of decisions range from those based on optimal weed control (independent of net profitability) to those predicting weed population effects before most profitable treatments are selected. While the number of software applications has increased sharply, national software databases have not been funded and tracking has been made difficult. The purpose of this paper is to review the criteria upon which efficacy- and population-based weed control decision aids are founded, and to identify software currently available in each of the two categories.