Use of adjuvant-enhanced formulations to increase bipyridylium-herbicide effectiveness

Paraquat and diquat are two popular, non-selective; bipyridylium herbicides commonly used in citrus orchards and horticultural row crops as the main chemical weed control method. However, since diquat lacks of an effective spectrum against grass weeds, and paraquat mammal toxicity raises strong environmental concerns, both an increase in diquat toxicity against grasses and a reduction in paraquat rates may be desired. Using grass-weed Lolium rigidum and broad leave weed Portulaca oleracea as experimental systems, the effects of six commercial adjuvants (poly-1-p-menthene, mixture of methyl oleate and palmitate, alkylglycol ester, dodecylbenzene ammonium sulphonate, and two paraffinic oils) on paraquat and diquat effectiveness have been studied under laboratory controlled conditions. Dose-response assays showed that adjuvants failed in increasing paraquat efficacy in both broad and grass weeds, yet antagonistic effects being observed in some mixtures such as paraquat + polymentene. However, all adjuvants tested did succeed in increasing significantly diquat effectiveness in P. oleracea and (most important) L. rigidum grass weed. Formulated-diquat ED50 rates were reduced down to 15% (diquat + DBSA) and 30% (diquat + fatty acid ester, diquat + polimentene) of those obtained on non-formulated-diquat trials for P. oleracea and L. rigidum, respectively. Results showed that formulated diquat proved to be a valid alternative to paraquat, and could be used as a more environmentally friendly substitute with comparable effectiveness and herbicide rate.