Cost-effectiveness analysis of weed management treatments in soybean cultivation

Abstract

This study evaluated the economic feasibility of various weed management treatments in soybean cultivation. The treatments included different herbicide combinations, hand weeding, and a weedy check. Results showed that the application of sodium aceflourofen at 165 g ha-1 + clodinafop Propargyl at 100 g ha-1 yielded the highest gross return (Rs. 64785), net return (Rs. 42993), and benefit-cost ratio (B:C ratio) of [3.0]. Conversely, the weedy check treatment resulted in the lowest economic returns. The cost of cultivation varied significantly among treatments, with hand weeding twice being the most expensive and weedy check being the least expensive. These findings suggest that the combination of sodium aceflourofen and clodinafop Propargyl is the most economically viable weed management strategy for soybean farmers.