Atrazine is a triazine herbicide used by American farmers to control broadleaf and grassy weeds. It’s largely used by corn growers, although it’s also used on a variety of other crops, like sugar cane, macadamia nuts, and ornamental plants, as well as on golf courses. It works by disrupting invasive weeds’ ability to properly photosynthesize, though it’s generally safe for humans.
As any farmer knows, weeds are a big deal and can drastically impact yields. Weeds grow faster than most food crops, and they monopolize resources in the field: sunlight, soil nutrients, water, and growing space. A study from Kansas State University found that uncontrolled weeds would result in economic losses totaling $43 billion annually in the U.S. and Canada.
There’s also an environmental impact. Herbicides help farmers adopt conservation practices like no-till and cover crops…. And higher yields supported by herbicides means the world doesn’t have to develop new farmland in places like the rainforest; we can grow all the crops we need on the land we already use.
By the way, consumers benefit from this too. In the U.S., shoppers save between $4.3 billion and $6.2 billion annually through lower prices for meat, eggs, dairy products, and ethanol thanks to atrazine and other herbicides.
