Effectiveness of Acetic Acid-Based Natural Herbicide Combined with Glufosinate for Annual Broadleaf Weed Control

• Published in: International Journal of Agriculture and Biology
• Main Author: Chuah T.S.; Syafiqah Z.N.; Lee B.W.; Firdaus A.M.; Lim S.S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Friends Science Publishers 2024
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85202940720&doi=10.17957%2fIJAB%2f15.2215&partnerID=40&md5=a8da600e5dcdd901916bfc3a15da6a78

WeeMover® is a post-emergence natural contact herbicide with acetic acid as its active ingredient. Previous research indicated that effective weed control requires 6000 to 8000 L/ha of WeeMover®. However, the high volume of spraying could result in increased labor costs. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the efficacy of WeeMover® combined with glufosinate at a lower spraying volume for selected weeds in mature mango fields under field conditions. Field trials were conducted at the Farm unit of UiTM, Perlis, during the rainy season. Using a knapsack sprayer, various treatments, including glufosinate at a recommended rate of 495 g ai/ha, WeeMover® alone and WeeMover® combined with glufosinate at 124 or 248 g ai/ha, were applied at a spraying volume of 450 L/ha. Three annual broadleaved weed species—Ageratum conyzoides L., Euphorbia hirta L. and Borreria latifolia (Aubl.) K. Schum were visually assessed weekly for one-month post-treatment based on the percentage of weeds killed. The results revealed that the combination of WeeMover® and glufosinate at 248 g ai/ha was as effective as glufosinate alone at 495 g ai/ha for controlling the test weeds. The combination treatment provided excellent control (90–100%) of the test weeds throughout the four-week evaluation period. These findings suggest that the recommended rate of glufosinate can be halved when mixed with WeeMover® to achieve outstanding control of annual broadleaf weeds. © 2024 The Authors. International Journal of Agriculture and Biology published by Friends Science Publishers, Faisalabad, Pakistan