What are defoliants and herbicides?
Herbicides, also commonly known as weedkillers, are substances used to control unwanted plants. A defoliant is any herbicidal chemical sprayed or dusted on plants to cause their leaves to fall off. Defoliants are widely used for the selective removal of weeds in managing croplands and lawns.
What is an example of defoliant?
Two of the oldest chemical herbicides used as defoliants are 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and 2,4,5-Trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T). 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T are absorbed by broad-leafed plants, killing them by causing excessive hormonal growth.
What are cotton defoliants?
Thidiazuron, Ginstar, Finish, and ethephon are hormonal defoliants that result in increased ethylene synthesis by the plant. Although cytokinins promote leaf health in most plant species, in cotton very high concentrations of cytokinins promote ethylene synthesis and act as a defoliant.
How do defoliants work?
defoliant, a chemical dust or spray applied to plants to cause their leaves to drop off prematurely. Defoliants sometimes are applied to crop plants such as cotton in order to facilitate harvesting. They are also used in warfare to eliminate enemy food crops and potential areas of concealment by enemy forces.
Is a defoliant a pesticide?
Defoliants and desiccants are regulated as pesticides under the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS). The terms “defoliant” and “desiccant” are often used interchangeably.
What does Defoliates mean?
Definition of defoliate transitive verb. : to deprive of leaves especially prematurely Black spot, which looks like its name, attacks leaves. Left untreated, it spreads and multiplies, and can defoliate the plant.—
What are defoliants why were they used in Vietnam?
Agent Orange, mixture of herbicides that U.S. military forces sprayed in Vietnam from 1962 to 1971 during the Vietnam War for the dual purpose of defoliating forest areas that might conceal Viet Cong and North Vietnamese forces and destroying crops that might feed the enemy.
What’s another word for defoliate?
What is another word for defoliate?
| denude | deforest |
|---|---|
| log | strip |
What does a desiccant pesticide do?
Desiccants are used to improve crop uniformity, desiccate weeds and green tissue, and increase harvest efficiency. These are essentially contact herbicides that are also labeled as harvest aids. Glyphosate products are also commonly used as desiccants or harvest aids for oilseed crops (safflower, sunflower, etc.)
What are defoliants and desiccants and why are they used?
Simply put, defoliants and desiccants are chemicals used to remove leaves from plants, such as a crop or weeds in an infested field. In cotton production, for example, leaf removal has several advantages:
What are the benefits of desiccants in agriculture?
In addition to being a useful pest-management tool, desiccants can protect crop quality in other ways. For example, in potato production, the presence of massive green vine material can interfere with the harvest operation. Such interference can result in skinning and bruising of the tubers.
Does plant defoliation hasten maturity?
Plant defoliation does not hasten maturity; for maximum yield and crop quality potential, defoliants should not be applied until physiological maturity. Defoliants function in several primary ways, both resulting in more rapid development of abscission layers. The abscission layer is the zone where leaf petioles meet stems.
What are the benefits of leaf removal and defoliation?
Leaf removal reduces harborage sites of insects that reduce lint quality; and, to some degree, Reduced lodging of the crop. Plant defoliation does not hasten maturity; for maximum yield and crop quality potential, defoliants should not be applied until physiological maturity.