An estimate of the potential impact of integrated weed management technologies on major field crops productivity and economic gains in India

AbstractWeeds remain one of the most pervasive biotic constraints to crop productivity in India, causing substantial yield and economic losses across diverse cropping systems. This study aimed to estimate the potential contribution of integrated weed management (IWM) interventions to the production of major field crops in India and the possible economic gains resulting from these interventions. Weed management was estimated to be implemented in over 125.33 million hectares, representing about 67% of the total cropped area under major cereals, pulses, oilseeds and commercial crops (187.06 million hectares). Adoption of IWM interventions was estimated to result in an additional 96.62 million tonnes of crop production annually with an estimated economic returns of ? 1.89 trillion. The largest share of gains was estimated to be by cereals due to their extensive area coverage, with a contribution of 45.78 million tonnes of additional output which is over half of the total economic benefits. Commercial crops, particularly sugarcane and potato, generated disproportionately high production gains despite relatively less cultivated acreage, reflecting their high per-unit productivity and responsiveness to IWM. Oilseeds and pulses were estimated to have moderate absolute gains, constrained mainly due to lower adoption of IWM. Overall, the findings of this estimate demonstrate that scaling of timely IWM can substantially narrow yield gaps improve farm profitability, underscoring its central role in sustainable agricultural intensification.