Vol. 51—1997 - NorthEastern Weed Science Society

129
In addi .on to the traditional audience and clientele of persons from universities,
basic manufa urers of herbicides, retailers, and farmers; others including consumers,
administrators and politicians are taking an increased notice in weed science. Many or
these individ s have no understanding of agriculture, but they control the funding
allocated to ny agricultural research, teaching, and extension programs.
The 0 ~ectives of our "new" and inexperienced audience are broader and
sometimes les well defined than our traditional objectives. Funding available today for
research pro ms reflects these more diverse and less well defined objectives;
Environmen ly sound practices are desired, but the impacts of agriculture on the
environment 0 not seem to be always understood. Nature seeks diversity, whil~
agriculture s ks to limit diversity, frequently to maintain a temporary monoculturel
Research on nd use of "sustainable production systems" is a popular concept, but a
consistent de nition of "sustainable" cannot be agreed upon. To some, it means
agriculture w thout pesticides. To others it means profitable production systems th~t
improve f income without concern for the future productivity of the land. The
economic vi ility of rural communities is directly affected by how individuals define
"sustainable." Consumers are interested in food safety and cost. The traditionsf
objectives of ncreased yield and improved quality still exist, but they may seem more
difficult to fi
The ch lenge for future research must be to address the priorities of our audience
while continu ng to serve our clientele. Environmentally sound agricultural practices
must be dev oped. It must be recognized that those practices must often approach
temporary mo ocultures, which may not be consistent with nature's constant drive toward
diversity. Th definition of ..sustainable production systems" must be resolved. Extreme
attitudes, that strive to eliminate the use of all pesticides and those that seek to maximize
profit in one ear at the expense of the productivity of the land, must be moderated. The
income levels of farmers in many areas have reached critically low levels. Farm income
must be main .ned and increased to sustain agricultural production. The perception anp
reality of a s e food supply must bereinforced. The use of integrated crop management
techniques wi be essential to achieve this. Reemphasis on the integration of cultural,
mechanical, nd where applicable, biological control with chemical weed control ~s
needed. Fin y, the maintenance of a readily available supply of food at a reasonable
cost to the c sumer will require continued efforts to improve the yield and quality qf
crops.
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