Adjuvants in preemergence application – influence on diflufenican efficacy and quality of winter wheat grainAdiuwanty w zabiegach przedwschodowych – wpływ na skuteczność diflufenikanu i jakość ziarna pszenicy ozimej

Abstract

Summary The aim of the studies was to determine the influence of adjuvants applied preemergence with herbicide on weed control efficacy, residues and quality parameters of winter wheat grain. Field experiment was conducted in years 2009–2011. Chemical weed control in winter wheat was carried by commercial formulation of diflufenican (herbicide Legato 500 SC). Herbicide was applied separately at recommended and reduced doses and at reduced dose in mixture with three different adjuvants. Herbicide and its mixtures were applied preemergency after winter wheat sowing. Phytotoxicity and efficacy of herbicide and its mixtures with adjuvants were evaluated in the experiments. Moreover, the residue of diflufenican in grain of winter wheat and wheat grain quality parameters as: thousand grain weight, seed grading, weight of hectoliter, falling number, sedimentation rate and the content of ash, protein and gluten were analysed. No phytotoxic effects of used herbicide (separately and jointly with adjuvant) on winter wheat were stated. The addition of adjuvants caused a significant increase in the weed control and the herbicide residues in grain samples as compared to the variants with herbicide was used separately (at reduced dose). Application of herbicide with adjuvant did not influence quality parameters of grain and allowed to reduce a herbicide dose (without lost of weed control efficacy).