The effect of several adjuvants on glufosinate effectiveness in Conyza species.

The effect of several adjuvants on the effectiveness of glufosinate and the role of adherence and contact angle modifications due to the presence of these adjuvants in the spraying solution on the increase in efficacy observed on the broadleaved weeds Conyza albida and Conyza bonariensis has been determined under laboratory controlled conditions. The adjuvants used on the experiment were a mixture of methyl oleate and palmitate (MO/MP), a dodecylbenzene ammonium sulphonate (DBAS), a paraffinic oil (PO), an alkylglycol ester (AGE), and a lecithin + propionic acid + non ionic surfactant based product (LI-700). Dose-response experiments showed that C. albida displayed higher susceptibility to glufosinate than C. bonariensis, no matter the adjuvant tested. However, none of the mixtures increased the herbicide effectiveness on C. atlbida, with LI 700 and PO showing an antagonistic effect on the herbicide efficacy. On C. bonariensis, MO/MP and DBAS showed significant better results than non-amended glufosinate controls, with LI 700 showing again an antagonistic effect. Both adherence and contact angle studies were inconclusive, since adjuvants with best adherence and contact angle values were not the most effective ones. Therefore, other unknown parameters putatively modified by adjuvants such as herbicide penetration should be questioned.