Bioeconomic model for optimal control of the invasive weed Zea mays subspp. (teosinte) in Spain
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Date
2018
Authors
Martínez Martínez, YolandaCirujeda Ranzenberger, Alicia
Gómez, Miguel I.
Marí León, Ana Isabel
Pardo Sanclemente, Gabriel
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Abstract
Teosinte is an invasive weed which emerged recently in Northeastern Spain, an
important corn-growing region in Western Europe. It is causing substantial agronomic
and economic damages and is threatening the availability of corn in the region. Farmers
and regulatory agencies can choose from a number of strategies to control for teosinte
infestations including adoption of specific cultural practices such as manual control
constructing false seedbeds, as well as adopting corn rotations with other annual and
perennial crops. In spite of the potential negative impacts of this weed, little is known
about what the optimal control strategies are, both from the private (e.g. the farm) and
social (e.g. regulatory agencies) perspectives. In response, we develop a dynamic
optimization model to identify the sequence of control strategies that minimize private
and social costs under low- and high-infestation level scenarios, for a fifteen-year
planning horizon. We calibrate the model using biological data from experimental trials
and economic parameters collected from farmers in the region. Our results suggest the
economic losses of teosinte infestation can reach up to 7444 and 8421 €/ha for low- and
high-infestation scenarios if nothing is done to control it. In addition, results show that
optimal private and social strategies are different. For example, under high-infestation
levels, private losses are minimized at 26.5% by not controlling in years 1-2, use false
seedbeds in year 3, planting alfalfa in years 4-8, and planting corn thereafter in the total
area. In contrast, social cost are minimized at 27.9% by adopting rotations starting year,
return to corn mono-cropping in half the area after year four. Results show false
seedbed and manual controls, currently recommended by the regulatory agency in lowinfestation cases, are not socially optimal.
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VIII Conference Spanish-Portuguese Association of Natural and Environmental Resource Economics (AERNA). Madrid, 3 – 5 de septiembre de 2018
AGROVOC subjects
TeosinteZea mays
Control de malezas
Métodos de control