EVALUATION OF PARAQUAT AND DIQUAT FOR WEED CONTROL IN RUBBER

Summary. In Malayan rubber plantations where the weed flora was dominated by grasses paraquat was superior to diquat as a herbicide. At the rates needed to give satisfactory grass weed control paraquat also gave an adequate control of broad-leaved weeds.
The rate of paraquat needed varied between 0.75 and 1.25 lb/ac depending on the weed flora and the growth stage of the rubber trees. In young rubber 1.0–1.25 lb/ac gave 8–10 weeks' control, but in mature rubber there was only 20% recovery 6 months after an application of 0.75 lb/ac. Where weed regrowth was very rapid after the initial spray, as in the case of Paspalum conjugation in young rubber, a second application some 2–3 weeks after the first was an advantage. The volume of water in which it was applied was not critical.
Rain falling soon after application did not reduce the herbicidal activity of paraquat. Paraquat did not injure rubber trees providing it was not sprayed onto green tissue and this feature combined with its inactivation by soil made it safe to use from a very early stage in the growth of the rubber trees.
L'évaluation du paraquat et du diquat pour la lutte contre les mauvaises herbes dans les plantations de caoutchouc