The Efficacy of Pre-Emergence Herbicides Against Dominant Soybean Weeds in Northeast Thailand
Soybean production in Thailand faces significant challenges from malignant weed competition, potentially reducing yields by up to 37% and incurring annual economic losses of approximately USD 3.8 billion. Pre-emergence herbicides are critical for integrated weed management, but their efficacy varies...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Agronomy |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/15/7/1725 |
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| Summary: | Soybean production in Thailand faces significant challenges from malignant weed competition, potentially reducing yields by up to 37% and incurring annual economic losses of approximately USD 3.8 billion. Pre-emergence herbicides are critical for integrated weed management, but their efficacy varies depending on local conditions and soybean varieties. This study evaluates the performance of three pre-emergence herbicides, pendimethalin (1875 g a.i. ha<sup>−1</sup>), s-metolachlor (900 g a.i. ha<sup>−1</sup>), and flumioxazin (125 g a.i. ha<sup>−1</sup>), on weed control efficiency (WCE), soybean growth, phytotoxicity, and yield in Northeast Thailand using a randomised complete block design with two varieties (CM60 and Morkhor60) across rainy (2023) and dry (2024/2025) seasons. Herbicide performance varied seasonally: s-metolachlor showed optimal rainy season results (61.54% weed control efficiency at 63 days after herbicide application (DAA), with a yield of 1036 kg ha<sup>−1</sup>), while flumioxazin excelled in dry conditions (64.32% WCE, <4% phytotoxicity, and 1243 kg ha<sup>−1</sup> yield). Pendimethalin performed poorly under wet conditions but improved in drier weather. Among five dominant weed species, <i>Cyperus rotundus</i> proved the most resilient. CM60 demonstrated superior herbicide tolerance and yield stability, particularly under rainy conditions. These results emphasise that season-specific herbicide selection and variety matching are crucial for herbicide resistance management and effective weed control in Thailand’s rainfed soybean systems. |
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| ISSN: | 2073-4395 |