EVALUATION OF GLYPHOSATE-FREE CHEMICAL ALTERNATIVES FOR WEED CONTROL IN MEXICO'S SEMBRANDO VIDA PROGRAM

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.22533/at.ed.9735625070115

• Palavras-chave: Weeds, Alternative herbicides, Paraquat, Ammonium glufosinate

• Keywords: Weeds, Alternative herbicides, Paraquat, Ammonium glufosinate

• Abstract:

  Weed control in Mexico is usually carried out only at the time of crop establishment, which highlights the lack of implementation and planning of systematic practices in integrated weed management (IWM). This technical deficiency generates production losses ranging from 15% to 80%. It is important to note that weed control is defined according to the type of producer. Based on this approach and considering that Mexico's Sembrando Vida Program (PSV) is for small producers, preferably in marginalized areas, the federal government issued a national decree eliminating the use of glyphosate as a chemical control agent, given its harmful effects and consequences for human health. In the search for alternatives, the National Institute of Forestry, Agricultural and Livestock Research (INIFAP) evaluated five herbicides commercially distributed in the central area of Veracruz, with the aim of finding at least one glyphosate-free substitute product that guarantees more than 85% effectiveness in weed control for PSV MIAF crops. The evaluations were carried out using qualitative and quantitative methods in the field, using visual monitoring and images. The minimum and maximum application doses were those recommended by the manufacturer on the product label and based on Mexican standard NOM-232-SSAI-2009. The results show, according to the classification index of the Latin American Weed Association, two herbicides with excellent efficacy: Paraquat 2 and Ammonium Glufosinate 2, with control percentages of 93.67% and 92.33%, respectively, both products at a high dose of three liters per hectare. It is concluded that there are at least two products that can be used as substitutes for glyphosate within the contex of the PSV, which favors a progressive transition towards agroecological production systems.