Optimizing herbicidal efficacy of glyphosate isopropylamine salt through ammonium sulphate as surfactant in oil palm ( Elaeis guineensis) plantation in a rainforest area of Nigeria

Abstract

A randomized complete block field trial was conducted over 2 years to evaluate the herbicidal efficacy of glyphosate isopropylamine salt (Roundup ®) applied singly at 1.41 kg a.e. ha −1 or in combination with ammonium sulphate (AMS) as surfactant at 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0% (wt/v) in a 5-year old oil palm plantation of the Federal University of Technology, Akure located in the rainforest vegetation zone of Nigeria. Assessment of herbicidal efficacy based on the Henderson-Tilton formula indicated that glyphosate applied singly or in combination with varying concentrations of AMS proved highly effective in controlling most of the grasses and broadleaved weeds prevalent in the experimental plots. Herbicidal efficacy on total weed density, weed fresh weight as well as on weed dry weight was found to increase in the order of increasing concentration of AMS. Regressing percentage herbicidal efficacy ( Y) against increasing concentration levels of AMS ( X) indicated significant ( P ⩽ 0.001 ) positive relationships with an average correlation coefficient ( r) of +0.95 in both years. These results confirm the potential of AMS as an effective surfactant that can be exploited in glyphosate-based weed management schemes in the sub-humid tropical environment.