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Figure 2

From: Experimental and empirical evidence shows that reducing weed control in winter cereal fields is a viable strategy for farmers

Figure 2

Effect of weed control and nitrogen management on crop yield (t ha-1), crop protein content (%) and gross margin (€/ha). Data were obtained from the farm surveys. Solid and dashed lines represent significant (P < 0.05) and non-significant relationships, respectively. The blue line is the regression for conventional farmers (CF), and the green line for organic farmers (OF). The cost of (organic plus inorganic) nitrogen and weed control includes in addition to product cost the application costs, i.e. machinery used in fertilizer application (for CF and OF), herbicide (for CF) and mechanical weeding (for OF). (A) Yield as a function of nitrogen dose, (B) weed control intensity (TFI for CF and number times the field was mechanically weeded for OF) and (C) Grain protein content as a function of nitrogen dose. Gross margins as a function of (D) nitrogen dose, (E) weed control intensity, (F) nitrogen cost, (G) weed control cost and (H) nitrogen plus weed control cost. Gross margins are computed without including Agro environmental measures subsidies (CAP pillar 2, see methods).

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