By Mark Renz, Extension Weed Scientist

At the 2006 Pest Management Update meetings held throughout Wisconsin there was quite a bit of interest about the cost of using Roundup Ready Alfalfa. While the technology fee is very clear ($125/bag) it becomes much more difficult to calculate the real cost as the seeding rate, potential yield loss from traditional herbicides, and cost of the herbicide need to be considered. To help producers understand the potential costs and benefits of this new technology Dan Undersander has created a calculator that can help you estimate the differences in costs between RR alfalfa and standard alfalfa varieties.

It is currently available at the following URL »

This calculator can be downloaded to your computer as it is an excel spreadsheet. When you first open up the spreadsheet, values will be pre-entered into the cells. These values are what we feel are accurate estimates of the costs, use patterns, and yield throughout Wisconsin. The beauty of this calculator is that it allows the user to change any of the data in table 1. This will allow the user to enter specific information for a field or farm and provide a more accurate analysis of the costs.

View the full report here »

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