Comparative Impact of a Single Application of Selected Broad Spectrum Herbicides on Ecological Components of Oil Palm Plantation

• Published in: African journal of agricultural research Vol. 5; no. 16; pp. 2097 - 2102
• Main Authors: Wibawa, W, Mohamad, R B, Omar, D, Zain, N M, Puteh, AB, Awang, Y
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lagos Academic Journals 18.08.2010
• Subjects: Comparative analysis; Effectiveness; Experiments; Field study; Herbicides; Science and Technology; Statistical analysis; Weeds; Malaysia
• ISSN: 1991-637X; 1991-637X

Proper choice and use of herbicides are important for the effective control of weed and environmental safety. Herbicides which possess both characteristics are preferred for use in weed control operation. A study was, therefore, conducted to compare the performance of common broad-spectrum herbicides of paraquat, glyphosate and glufosinate-ammonium to control weeds and their impact to the surrounding ecological components of an oil palm plantation. Field experiments set up in the oil palm plantation were sprayed accordingly with recommended rates of the herbicides (paraquat, 600 g a.i. ha-1; glufosinate-ammonium, 600 g a.i. ha-1 and glyphosate, 1200 g a.i. ha-1) at 200 L ha-1, using knapsack sprayer fitted with a 2.5 deflector nozzle. Untreated control plots were included in the experiment. The effectiveness of the herbicides on weed population, their residues in the soil and indirect effects on oil palm crop plants were evaluated. Paraquat killed 74% of the weed population with effective control period of 8.8 WAT, whereas, both glyphosate and glufosinate-ammonium caused maximum killed of 99% and remained effective until 14.8 WAT. The measurements of weed dry weight and growth reduction also indicated that the herbicides caused significant reduction compared with the control, but paraquat was comparatively less effective than glyphosate and glufosinate-ammonium.