Types of Herbicides for Weed Control

Megatrax is a South African market leader in Specialised Weed Control Industry Established in 1989. Megatrax has kept abreast of international trends, implementing modern techniques with strict quality and safety standards throughout every project.

Types of Herbicide for Weed Control

Herbicides play a crucial role in weed control. They can be classified in different ways such as their application method/timing, mode of action, chemical families, labeled crop usage, and the weed control spectrum etc. There may be a wide range of herbicides targeting specific plant pests (such as grasses, weeds etc.)

Application of herbicides can be a cost effective method for weed control. In some of the cases the weed is susceptible to any particular kind of herbicide, and it is quite essential to use the right product and applying rate for controlling that specific kind of weed.

Weed identification is quite crucial

It is extremely important to identify the type of weed with precision and it will be hard to choose the best suited herbicide without identifying the type of weed accurately. Therefore, one should pay proper attention while identifying unwanted weeds. Incorrect identification can make things more difficult to get under control.

Types of Herbicides

It will be good to know about the types of herbicides that come in use for weed control. They are mentioned below-

• Selective– They are good for a narrow range of the plants.
• Broad Spectrum– Such kinds of herbicides are effective for a wide range of plants.
• Systemic– These herbicides work quite smartly. Plants absorb the herbicide via stems or leaves and internally transport it throughout the plant. The chemical in this herbicide gradually travels with the sap; therefore it doesn’t provide immediate effect. Biggest advantage of systemic herbicide is that it kills the plant from its root. The pace of chemical movements depends on air temperature and soil.
• Residual– Such kinds of herbicides are applied on soil for killing weeds by the root. They can also be helpful in controlling the germination of seeds as they stay active in the ground for a definite period of time.
• Contact– Such herbicides are named as contact herbicides because they kill plants they come in contact with. For instance, such kinds of herbicides will kill the leafy part of the broadleaf weeds and it will not kill the below ground parts like rhizomes, tubers, bulbs, and roots directly.

These types of herbicides are high in demand because they show their immediate effect and they quickly kill the weed tissue. Though, for some plants it is not sufficient to merely kill the above ground portions but to wiping out the plant entirely. Most of the plants will re-grow their plant tissue and then herbicide will be needed again. Though, each time plant needs to utilize its energy for restarting its growth one more time more will make the plant weaker and ultimately kill it.

Ideal Application Methods

It is a wise move to know about the right application of herbicides for taking their full advantage altogether. Some of the methods are mentioned below-

Herbicides that are applied to leaves aka foliar– Such kinds of herbicides are applied on such portions of the plant that are above the ground and exposed tissues of plants absorb them. There may be some external barriers like cell wall, waxes, and cuticle etc. that may affect the absorption of the herbicide and their action.

Herbicides that are applied to the soil– These kinds of herbicides are grasped by the root and they can be used as pre-emergence or pre-plant treatment. Herbicide positioning is quite important and one should know about the correct layer of the soil in which one needs to insert the herbicides.

Update the knowledge regarding mode of action

Mode of action regarding herbicide can be considered as the term defining what the chemical performs in the plants’ interior. Every kind of chemical has a mode of action. Therefore, mode of action can be considered as the way a chemical kills or controls the weeds. There may be one chemical that inhibits the significant hormone development while the other may prevent the sugar metabolism in plants.

Most of the herbicides are applied on the affected areas as water based sprays by utilizing the right equipment.

Misapplication can be devastating

One should be well aware about the drawbacks as the wrong application can be extremely dreadful. Volatilization of herbicides may be the reason for herbicide influencing the neighbouring plants or fields, especially in strong wind conditions. Therefore, precision and vast knowledge both are required for performing the work without leaving any margin for error.

The point is to make sure herbicides are rightly selected and implemented on specific kind of weed; otherwise the results won’t be effective.

While choosing the herbicide for any particular weed, it is good to know about-

• The right application method.
• What is the ideal season for applying it?
• What should be the ideal quantity?
• What can be the possible threats?
• What can be the right safety measures for nullifying the effects of such threats?

Our vast knowledge and experience about different types of weeds and removal methods and using the correct herbicide for the job.