Understanding what Nonionic surfactants really do in a spray tank and on leaf surfaces
It can be challenging at times to conceptualize/imagine what a surfactant is doing from a spray tank mixture to a leaf surface. By the time a spray tank mixture (water, herbicide, Adjuvant/surfactant, etc.) is sprayed on to a leaf surface as liquid droplets, they are relatively small and indistinguishable from rain droplets to the naked […]
How Nonionic Surfactants Changed the Way We Approach Weed Management
The way we approach weed management has been greatly influenced by the introduction of Nonionic surfactants (NIS). Adjuvants have been around for over 200 years, but it wasn’t until the 1960s that research and implementation of nonionic surfactants began. Initially, petroleum-based oil was used in conjunction with surfactants to create an emulsion for herbicide application. […]
How to Effectively Control Weeds With MSO
Brief history of Oils as adjuvants in Weed Control Adjuvants are substances that are added to herbicides to increase their effectiveness and efficiency in weed management. Petroleum-based oils were one of the earliest adjuvants used in herbicides. These oils were well-known for their capacity to improve herbicide performance and were frequently utilized in the 1950s […]
MSO surfactants for Weed Control – An In-depth perspective:
Are you an applicator of herbicides for agriculture, aquatics, or terrestrial weed management? Or are you looking to control pesky weeds in your home garden? If so, you’ve probably come across the term MSO before. Even if you’re simply trying to control weeds in your home garden, understanding MSO can be valuable. MSO, or Methylated […]
Problematic Weeds: The Usual Suspects
Every year, land managers must deal with a set of weedy plants that routinely infest their crops. Most of the weedy plants have plagued the crops for a long time and have evolved to develop traits which enable them to escape control and continue infesting crops and spreading to other areas. Problematic weeds are plants […]
Pesticide Safety: How to Avoid Hazards in Storage
The winter months are when most managers acquire their pesticides and adjuvants in preparation for the following season. After purchase, proper storage of pesticides and adjuvants protectsthe health and well-being of people,helps protect against environmental contamination, and protects the chemical shelf life. Most importantly, proper storage of agrichemicals helps prevent hazards. What types of […]
Why We Must be Concerned About Invasive Plants
An invasive plant species is a non-native organism that takes root in a new ecosystem and starts causing trouble. Before they become invasive, the species of plant or animal may have been brought into the country intentionally, sometimes unwittingly, before eventually becoming invasive. Bear in mind that many of our plant species were introduced into […]
Protecting Forests from Invasive Plants
Forests occupy one-third of our land area and play an important part in sustaining life on earth.Forests and their ecosystems help stabilize climate, regulate the water cycle, and provide food and shelter for thousands of life forms. All these benefits are collectively referred to as ecosystem services for which the forest understory is important. However, […]
Late-Season Aquatic Vegetation Management
Aquatic vegetation consists of plants that grow in or around water and is a natural part of lake and pond ecosystems. Aquatic vegetation can be found in every lake and pond and there is plenty of good as well as bad that can happen with it. Contribution of aquatic vegetation to the environment Aquatic vegetation […]
Getting Ready to do Battle with the Soil Seedbank
As the fall season gets into full swing and winter approaches, the soil seedbank is receiving fresh deposits from plants that are dying or going into dormancy as. This yearly event happens without fail and creates challenges, sometimes nightmares, for many. In agriculture, the fresh supply of weed seeds replenishes the soil seedbank, a process […]
