Mixed - Weeds Herbicide Oil Palm Malaysia
Mixed - Weeds Herbicide Oil Palm Malaysia
Pertanika J. Trop. Agric. Sci. 33 (2): 193 - 203 (2010) © Universiti Putra Malaysia Press
ABSTRACT
A field study to evaluate the efficacy of three broad spectrum herbicides on mixed weed in a young (2 year-
old) oil palm plantation was conducted. Experimental plots, with the size of 4.8 x 20.5 m2 each, were laid
in a randomized complete block design with 4 replications. Weed vegetation analysis was conducted before
herbicide treatments were applied. Herbicide treatments used were paraquat and glufosinate-ammonium
(200, 400, 600, 800 g a.i. ha-1), and glyphosate (400, 800, 1200, 1600 g a.i. ha-1), with untreated control. The
experimental locality indicated a composite of mixed weeds of broadleaf and grasses. The growth of broadleaf
was more dominant with 25 species (relative dominance of 82.1%) than the grasses with only 7 species
(relative dominance of 17%). The three most dominant species were the broadleaves of Croton hirtus and
Asystasia gigantica, and a grass, Paspalum commersonii. The percentage of the mixed weed composite killed
was found to be significantly affected by the treatments of paraquat, glufosinate–ammonium and glyphosate,
relative to the untreated control, with more than 50 percent weed killed taken at 2 and 4 WAT. Meanwhile,
glyphosate and glufosinate-ammonium produced greater efficacy (more than 90 percent killed) as compared
to paraquat which produced lower total weed killed (50 to 83%). There were positive correlations between
the percentages of weed killed and weed growth reduction. Increased percentage of weed killed was followed
by the increase in the percentage of weed growth reduction, with the indication that weeds were recovering
and began to produce new shoots at 16 WAT. Treatments producing fewer efficacies caused weeds to regrow
and recover faster or in a shorter time. Increased rates of paraquat treatments, i.e. from 200 to 600 and 800 g
a.i. ha-1, were found to increase the duration of effective weed control. The duration of effective weed control
produced by glufosinate-ammonium at 200 to 800 g a.i. ha-1 and glyphosate at 400 to 1600 g a.i. ha-1 ranged
from 14.5 to 15 weeks, which were significantly longer than the paraquat treatments. The increased rates of
glufosinate-ammonium and glyphosate did not necessarily increase the duration of effective control.
*
Corresponding Author
Rosli B. Mohamad et al.
is difficult to quantify because of their long undertaken to gather more current information on
economic life (i.e. 20-30 years) but they can the control of natural mixed weeds in immature
affect the growth of crops or cause yield losses oil palm, whereby the use of broad spectrum
(Kuan et al., 1991). herbicides is the most appropriate. It evaluates
Weeds in plantation are managed using the efficacy and duration of effectiveness in
several methods such as cultural, mechanical, using the broad spectrum herbicides of paraquat,
integrated production system of using livestock glufosinate-ammonium and glyphosate on the
to control the weeds, or chemical (herbicides). total mixed weed population found in a young
Weed management with the use of chemical (2 year-old) oil palm plantation.
herbicides is the most common practice in
oil palm plantations at some stages of crop
MATERIALS AND METHODS
development. Broad spectrum herbicide,
paraquat, was used for more than 40 years, Field Experimental Set-up and Initial
and was the only mostly used herbicide in Vegetation Analysis
Malaysian plantations. The use of this herbicide, The experiment was conducted in a two-year
however, has been halted since 2002 by the old oil-palm plantation at MAB Agriculture-
Government of Malaysia, for reasons of toxicity Horticulture Sdn. Bhd. in Sepang, Selangor,
and hazards to humans, but was lifted in 2006 Malaysia. The plots in the size of 4.8 x 20.5 m2
to allow for more comprehensive study. The each were set up in a randomized complete block
prohibition of paraquat use left an open option experimental design with four replications.
to users for replacement. Several other common An initial weed vegetation analysis was
broad-spectrum herbicides are available in the conducted in the experimental plots prior to
Malaysian market. Among these herbicides the application of the herbicide treatments. It
are glufosinate-ammonium and glyphosate. was conducted to determine the composition of
All these herbicides are foliar applied, with weeds based on their species, density of growth,
paraquat activity being through contact (Turner and species dominance in the experimental
and Gilbanks, 2003), glufosinate-ammonium locality. The identification of the weed species
being partially systemic (Collins, 1991), and was done according to Bernes and Lus (1990)
glyphosate being systemic (Chang and Liao, and Sahid and Chan (2000). Meanwhile, the
2002). square method (0.5 x 0.5 m2) was used to
Most herbicide efficacy studies in oil palm sample and classify the weed species. Weeds
plantation have reported on certain specific were counted in 10 quadrates to determine their
noxious weeds (Chung and Balasubramanian, species, as well as to obtain the density and
1991; Pin and Lang, 1991; Ikuenobe and dominance of each species expressed in relative
Ayeni, 1998; Utulu, 1998). Meanwhile, a study terms, using the following formulae (Derksen et
evaluating some new herbicides for general al., 1993):
weed control in young oil palm was reported Absolute (X) of
by Khairudin and Teoh (1990). However, a Relative
(X) the species
= x100%
single predominant weed is rarely found under of a species
Total absolute (X)
field condition. Instead, predominant weeds
of all species
comprised of a few weed species (or rather it
is a mixed weed situation) (Aldrich, 1984), and where, X = density or dominance
weed population, particularly in crop areas, are
Above ground weed vegetation was
never constant, but are in dynamic state of flux
harvested and separated by species (for
due to changes in climatic and environmental
identification), sun-dried for 4 days and then
conditions, husbandry methods, and the use
oven-dried at 750C for 48 h (for dominance
of herbicides (Cobb, 1992). This study was
evaluation) (Felix and Owen, 1999).
TABLE 1
Weed species composition of the experimental locality
Relative Relative
Weed species Type*
density (%) dominance (%)
Ageratum conyzoides B 6.6 3.4
Asystasia gangetica B 11.4 12.9
Hedyotis verticillata B 5.0 5.2
Borreria latifolia B 3.8 7.5
Borreris repens B 2.4 1.0
Cardiospermum halicacabum B 0.39 0.1
Calopogoniun mucunoides B 1.2 3.6
Centrosema pubescen B 7.8 9.3
Cleome rutidosperma B 2.5 3.1
Clidemia hirta B 0.2 0.7
Croton hirtus B 33.6 23.6
Emilia sonchifolia B 1.6 0.8
Melastoma malabathricum B 0.1 0.4
Cassia tora B 0.2 0.3
Melochia corchorifolia B 0.2 0.9
Mimosa invisa B 0.2 0.2
Mimosa pigra B 0.1 0.1
Mimosa pudica B 1.0 1.9
Mikania micrantha B 1.3 2.1
Oxalis barrelieri B 1.4 1.1
Passiflora foetida B 0.2 0.2
Phyllanthus amurus B 1.2 2.4
Porophyllum ruderale B 0.3 0.1
Rubus moluccanus B 0.1 0.6
Synedrela nodiflora B 0.1 0.9
Axonopus compressus G 0.2 0.1
Paspalum commersonii G 12.4 9.7
Brachiaria miliformis G 0.2 0.1
Digitaria ciliaris G 1.5 0.7
Eleusine indica G 0.7 1.2
Ischaemum timorense G 0.3 0.2
Pennisetum polystachyon G 2.6 5.9
*B: broadleaf; G: grass
species were found to dominate the locality control, paraquat at lower rates of 200 and 400
based on their relative density and dominance. g a.i. ha-1 was considered to be less effective in
These are two broadleaves of Croton hirtus and killing the weeds in this mixed weed condition.
Asystasia gigentica, and one species of grass, At higher rates of 600 and 800 g a.i. ha -1,
Paspalum commersonii. The dominance of paraquat was found to produce considerably
Croton hirtus was obvious with the relative good kill of the weeds (74 to 83%) over the
density (33.6%) and dominance (23.6%) being 4 WAT period. These results, however, were
much higher than the other species present, lower than those produced by glufosinate-
followed by the values for Asystasia gigentica ammonium and glyphosate at all levels of
(11.4% and 12.9%), and Paspalum commersonii treatments, which gave the kill of between 91
(12.3% and 9.7%). Two species could be rated to 100% at the 4 WAT. Meanwhile, treatments
as being the least dominant. These were Mimosa at lower rates of each herbicide produced lower
pigra (broadleaf) with 0.1% and 0.1%, and kill than those of the higher doses of the same
Bracharia miliformis (grass) with 0.2% and chemical, except for glyphosate where only
0.1%, respectively. Therefore, the experimental the lowest rate was significantly lower than
locality indicated a composite of mixed weeds the higher rates. Sampling times (i.e. at 2 and
of broadleaves and grasses, with the broadleaves 4 WAT) did not indicate any differences in the
being more dominant over the grasses. In this percentage of weed killed for the herbicides at
study, these are the weed species which were all the treatment rates. A significant difference
found to be growing with this state of relative in the weed killed was observed between the
density and dominance at this stage of oil palm herbicides, with glyphosate giving the highest
growth and under the environmental condition kill, and paraquat the lowest kill. Meanwhile,
in the plantation. The situation, therefore, glyphosate and glufosinate-ammonium showed
necessitates the use of general post-emergent greater efficacy on this mixed weed population
herbicides for chemical weed management in than paraquat. As mentioned earlier, the weed
the locality of this experimentation. composition of the area suggested certain
influence on the outcome of the treatments.
The efficacy of these herbicides was affected by
Herbicide Efficacy
the nature of the weed composition of the area
The efficacy of the treatments was evaluated as and the surrounding environment (especially
the effects on the total weed population (mixed light penetration) of the locality. The effect
weed situation of broadleaf and grasses). The of paraquat is reduced in high light intensity
percentage of the weeds killed was significantly because the leaves are damaged, particularly at
affected by the treatments of paraquat (200 to the site of application (Ipor and Price, 1991).
800g a.i. ha-1), glufosinate –ammonium (200 Herbicide treatments, in general, are affected by
to 800g a.i. ha-1), and glyphosate (400 to 1600g dominance of weed species, crop cultivated and
a.i. ha-1) relative to the untreated control, with environment, whereby they can be effectively
at least more than 50% weed killed observed at controlled for several months (Hoerlein, 1994).
2 and 4 WAT. However, when the efficacy of Paraquat is a non-selective (broad-spectrum) and
these three herbicides was compared, paraquat contact herbicide which has a tendency to injure
was found to produce a lower weed killed (50 broadleaf plants somewhat more than grasses at a
to 83%) in total than those by glufosinate- given rate (Ashton and Crafts, 1981; Calderbank
ammonium (between 91 to 98%), and glyphosate and Slade, 1975). Its greatest efficacy is on weed
(between 95 to 100%) (see Table 2). Using the species with restricted root system or which are
weed control rating proposed by Burill et al. still small (Turner and Gillbanks, 2003), and
(1976), i.e. where 70% killed was considered inversely proportionate to moisture where its
as the minimum acceptable level of control and effect increases under moisture stress (Turner
more than 90% killed as an excellent level of and Gillbanks, 2003). Glufosinate-ammonium
TABLE 2
The percentage of weed killed after the treatments with paraquat, glufosinate-
ammonium and glyphosate to mixed weed composition
Untreated 0f 0g
Paraquat 200 50.7 e 50.9 f
*Means within the same column, followed by the same letter, are not significantly different at P<0.05 by DMRT
TABLE 3
Weed dry weight and growth reduction after treatments with paraquat, glufosinate-
ammonium and glyphosate
*Means within the same column followed by the same letter are not significantly different at P<0.05 by DMRT
recover faster or in shorter times. Chung and control according to Burill et al., 1976), the
Balasubramaniam (1991) reported that the high control only lasted for 8 weeks, as compared to
biomass recorded after the treatment with certain more than 12 weeks when it was at 90% weed
herbicides was caused by a rapid regeneration killed. The paraquat treatments had a duration
of the weeds. of effective weed control that ranged from 4 to
The percentage weed killed, weed dry 11.75 weeks. The increased rates of paraquat
weight, and percentage of weed growth, as treatment, i.e. from 200 to 600 and 800g a.i. ha-1
components of efficacy evaluation, also reflects were found to increase the duration of effective
the duration of effective weed control. The weed control (see Table 4). The effective weed
higher percentage of weed killed lead to longer control produced by glufosinate-ammonium (at
duration of effective control as indicated by the 200 to 800g a.i. ha-1) and glyphosate (at 400 to
value of regression y = 0.0013x2 + 0.0215x + 1600g a.i. ha-1) ranged from 14.5 to 15 weeks,
0.219, and R2 of 0.84 (see Fig. 2). When weed and these were significantly longer than the
killed was at 70% (i.e. the minimum acceptable paraquat treatments. The increased rates of
TABLE 4
Duration of effective control after treatment with paraquat, glufosinate-ammonium and
glyphosate on mixed weed in young oil palm plantation
Untreated 0e
*Means within the same column followed by the same letter are not significantly different at P<0.05 by DMRT
Duration of effective weed control (weeks)
Fig. 2: Relationship between duration of effective weed control and weed killed
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