"Herbicides, also commonly known as weed killers, are substances used to control undesired plants, also known as weeds."
Chemicals used to control weeds in agricultural fields.
Introduction to Herbicides: This topic provides a basic overview of herbicides, their types, functions, and uses in industrial agriculture.
Classification of Herbicides: This topic covers the different classes of herbicides based on their mode of action and chemical structure such as pre-emergent, post-emergent, selective, and non-selective herbicides.
Chemical Properties of Herbicides: This topic covers the chemical properties of herbicides such as solubility, stability, and translocation in plants.
Uses and Management of Herbicides: This topic covers the proper application, dosing, timing, and disposal of herbicides to ensure their effectiveness and safety in industrial agriculture.
Herbicide Resistance: This topic covers the phenomenon of herbicide resistance, its causes, and management strategies.
Environmental Impact of Herbicides: This topic covers the potential risks of herbicides to the environment such as soil, water, and air pollution, and their mitigation measures.
Integrated Weed Management: This topic covers the use of multiple control measures such as cultural, physical, and biological to reduce weed pressure in industrial agriculture.
Herbicides in Genetically Modified Crops: This topic covers the role of herbicides in genetically modified crops, their benefits, and controversies surrounding their use.
Regulatory Framework for Herbicides: This topic covers the legal and regulatory framework for the use, registration, and evaluation of herbicides in industrial agriculture.
Emerging Trends in Herbicides: This topic covers the new developments and innovations in herbicides, their applications, and their potential impact on industrial agriculture.
Glyphosate-based herbicides: Glyphosate-based herbicides kill a wide range of plants and are often used as broad-spectrum herbicides to control weeds in crop fields, gardens, and lawns.
Atrazine-based herbicides: Atrazine is a selective herbicide that is used to kill broadleaf weeds in crops like corn and sorghum.
Paraquat-based herbicides: Paraquat is a highly toxic herbicide that is used to control weeds in agricultural fields, orchards, and vineyards.
Dicamba-based herbicides: Dicamba is a selective herbicide that is used to control broadleaf weeds in crops like soybeans, cotton, and wheat.
2,4-D-based herbicides: These herbicides are commonly used to control broadleaf weeds in fields and pastures.
Metolachlor-based herbicides: Metolachlor is a selective herbicide that is used to control annual grasses and certain broadleaf weeds in crops like corn, soybeans, and peanuts.
Imazethapyr-based herbicides: Imazethapyr is a selective herbicide that is used to control annual grasses and broadleaf weeds in crops like soybeans and peanuts.
Pre-emergent herbicides: These herbicides prevent weed growth by inhibiting their germination.
Post-emergent herbicides: These herbicides are used to kill weeds after they have emerged from the ground.
Contact herbicides: These herbicides kill only the part of the plant they come into contact with.
Systemic herbicides: These herbicides are absorbed by the plant and kill it from within by affecting its metabolism.
"Selective herbicides control specific weed species while leaving the desired crop relatively unharmed, while non-selective herbicides can be used to kill all plant material with which they come into contact."
"Other important distinctions include persistence (also known as residual action: how long the product stays in place and remains active)."
"Means of uptake (whether it is absorbed by above-ground foliage only, through the roots, or by other means)."
"Historically, products such as common salt and other metal salts were used as herbicides."
"…in some countries, a number of these are banned due to their persistence in soil, and toxicity and groundwater contamination concerns."
"Modern herbicides are often synthetic mimics of natural plant hormones that interfere with the growth of the target plants."
"The term organic herbicide has come to mean herbicides intended for organic farming."
"Some plants also produce their own natural herbicides, such as the genus Juglans (walnuts), or the tree of heaven; such actions of natural herbicides, and other related chemical interactions, is called allelopathy."
"Due to herbicide resistance – a major concern in agriculture – a number of products combine herbicides with different means of action."
"In the United States in 2012, about 91% of all herbicide usage, determined by weight applied, was in agriculture."
"In 2012, world pesticide expenditures totaled nearly $24.7 billion; herbicides were about 44% of those sales and constituted the biggest portion."
"Insecticides, fungicides, and fumigants."
"Herbicide is also used in forestry, where certain formulations have been found to suppress hardwood varieties in favor of conifers after clearcutting, as well as pasture systems, and management of areas set aside as wildlife habitat."
"Selective herbicides control specific weed species while leaving the desired crop relatively unharmed."
"A number of historical herbicides are banned due to their persistence in soil, toxicity, and groundwater contamination concerns."
"Non-selective herbicides can be used to clear waste ground, industrial and construction sites, railways, and railway embankments as they kill all plant material with which they come into contact."
"Modern herbicides are often synthetic mimics of natural plant hormones that interfere with the growth of the target plants."
"Herbicide resistance – a major concern in agriculture."
"Integrated pest management may use herbicides alongside other pest control methods."