Improved Method to Characterize Leaf Surfaces, Guide Adjuvant Selection, and Improve Glyphosate Efficacy

Glyphosate, one of the most widely used herbicides, plays an important role in controlling weeds and ensuring crop production. While using glyphosate, adjuvants are commonly added to improve its deposition on weeds and control efficacy. However, changes in weed leaf surface characteristics may reduce glyphosate penetration and contribute to evolved glyphosate resistance. Therefore, it is significant to introduce an improved method for regularizing leaf surface characterization and guide adjuvant selection to improve glyphosate efficacy. In this work, surface characteristics of typical weed leaves have been systematically investigated by 3D surface analysis and scanning electron microscopy, finally quantified by apparent surface free energy (ASFE) due to its comprehensive and quantitative evaluation of leaf surfaces. Moreover, the relationship between the weed leaf surface characteristics and the retention of glyphosate on weeds was established, further related to the control efficacy against weeds. To maximize the utilization rate of glyphosate, the types and concentrations of adjuvants should be regulated according to the ASFE of weeds. Our findings not only regularize the surface properties of weed leaves but also reveal their influencing mechanism on the deposition and biological activity of glyphosate, which provide effective guidance for the use of glyphosate.