Boosting the effectiveness of nicosulfuron-atrazine-propisochlor with adjuvants for weed management in maize: Adjuvants for maize weed control

Abstract

Adjuvants are critical in enhancing herbicide efficacy, resulting in reduced herbicide application cost, less environmental pollution, and more sustainable weed management. To check the role of adjuvants (alkyl ether sulphate sodium salt, rapsoel methyl ester, fatty alcohol ethoxylate, and ammonium sulphate) in improving the efficacy of nicosulfuron-atrazine-propisochlor (NAP). A repeated warehouse experiment was conducted to optimize the NAP at 100% and 75% of the recommended label dose and adjuvants combinations against five different types of weeds and maize plants. NAP at a reduced dose (75% label dose) plus rapsoel methylester at 400 ml ha-1 provided 100% and 97% control of Trianthema portulacastrum and Dactyloctenium aegyptium. While NAP at reduced dose plus alkyl ether sulphate sodium salt 400 ml ha-1 provided 91%, 86%, and 87% control of Amaranthus viridis, Echinochloa colona and Cyperus rotundus, respectively. The addition of adjuvants did not cause any phytotoxic effect on maize growth and grain yield. All tested adjuvants enhanced the NAP efficacy, however, change in efficacy depended on the adjuvant added and the type of weed species. Hence, tested adjuvants can be used to reduce herbicide doses up to 25%, a promising strategy to reduce herbicide input to cope with increasing herbicide-resistance development and environmental pollution to ensure sustainable weed control in maize