Abstract:
Objective Effect of two additives specially designed for drone herbicide-spraying on weed control using difluosulfamide in oat fields was studied.
Methods Two plant-safe additives, Maifei (MF) and Red Swift (RS), specially designed to be used on DJI T30 drone for spraying 50% difluosulfamide SC were applied at a rate of 180 mL·hm−2 to evaluate their effects on reducing the count and fresh weight of weed plants in an oat field.
Results The weed control effect indicated by the plant count reduction of the 75 mL·hm−2 herbicide application was 60.38% after 20 d and 60.16% after 40 d, while the fresh weed weight reduction was 81.23% in 40 d. When 50% difluosulfamide SC was applied at a rate of 67.5 mL·hm−2 along with MF or RS, the reduction on weed plant count of 72.31% for MF or 83.61% for RS, and that on fresh weed weight of 83.26% for MF or 91.43% for RS were achieved in 40 d. Under the application of 60 mL·hm−2 herbicide with the additive, the weed plant count was reduced 71.78% for the added MF and 78.28% for RS, and the fresh weed weight decreased 81.26% for the added MF and 91.43% for RS. The 52.5 mL·hm−2 herbicide and additive addition resulted in a weed plant count decline by 70.44% for MF and by 71.05% for RS and a fresh weight decrease by 77.92% for MF and by 87.43% for RS. When a 37.5 mL·hm−2 herbicide was applied with the additive, the plant counts became 57.64% for MF and 54.98% for RS, and the fresh weight 57.64% for MF and 63.22% for RS lower than without the treatment.
Conclusion Both MF and RS exerted a significant synergistic effect with the herbicide spray on weed control in the field. Moreover, it appeared that the application of difluosulfamide SC could be reduced by 10%–30% while the oat yield increased by 6.86%–10.81% through the safe addition of these additives.