Alkyl Ether Sulfate Improves Efficacy of Herbicides Against Common Goosefoot and Field Bindweed in Wheat

ABSTRACT: Tank mixed application of herbicides with adjuvant is required for effective weed management and to reduce herbicide load on agricultural crops. Field studies were conducted to investigate the effect of herbicides at reduced rates with adjuvant on common goosefoot (Chenopodium album) and field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis) and grain yield of wheat for two consecutive winter seasons. Treatments included post-emergence foliar application of four herbicides viz., fluroxypyr + tribenuron-methyl + clopyralid, mesosulfuron-methyl + iodosulfuron-methyl sodium, bromoxynil + MCPA, iodosulfuron-methyl sodium (pre mixed formulations) at their recommended rates 244.5, 14.2, 444.6, 10 g a.i. ha-1, respectively and 25% reduced rates with alkyl ether sulfate Na salt at 400 mL ha-1 as adjuvant. A weedy check was kept as control. All the herbicide treatments caused a significant reduction in densities (up to 85% and 89.2%) of C. arvensis and C. album, respectively and total dry weight (12.4-56%), N (3.7-50%), P (25-63.6%) and K (1.4-56.6%) uptakes from weedy check. Better weed control was achieved with 25% lower dose of all herbicides along with adjuvant in comparison with that recorded with their full doses without adjuvant. All herbicide treatments increased the grain yield of wheat ranging from 10.4 6-56.1% over control during both years. Herbicides with adjuvant produced significantly the higher grain yield of wheat than those observed with herbicides alone. Among all herbicide treatments, 75% doses of bromoxynil + MCPA and iodosulfuron-methyl sodium along with alkyl ether sulfate adjuvant were proved to be the best as they gave significantly the higher (4902.3 and 5159.0 kg ha-1 and 4566.5 and 4891.0 kgha-1) grain yields of wheat during years 2013-14 and 2014-15, respectively.