Carfentrazone-ethyla new desiccant for application in soybean

Abstract

Efficacy of carfentrazone-ethyl for soybean desiccation was tested during the vegetation seasons of 2020 and 2021. The field trials were set up in Novi Karlovci and Putinci field sites, following a randomized block design, in four replicates. Carfentrazone-ethyl was applied as a commercial product Affinity Plus, in the dose of 1 L ha-1, while diquat and glufosinateammonium were used as standards and commercial products in their recommended application doses. All treatments were conducted in the stage of natural crop ripening, when 30% of the leaves had fallen. Efficacy evaluation was done 3 and 7 days after application (DAA), when the following parameters were observed: stem color, leaf color, pod color, stem mass (g), and pod mass (g). Carfentrazone-ethyl, as Affinity Plus, in quantities of 1 L/ha led to the desiccation of soybean stems, leaves and pods. Carfentrazone-ethyl, depending on the study year and field site, has resulted in a 31-55% stem mass reduction 3 DAA and 43-56% 7 DAA. Pods mass was reduced by 22-36% 3DAA and 27-39% 7DAA. Under the same conditions, diquat and glufosinate-ammonium reduced the observed soybean parameters by 1-18% more, when compared with carfentrazone-ethyl. Therefore, the results of this study show that carfentrazone-ethyl can be used in soybean desiccation, but that soybean producers must be aware of its lower efficacy, when compared with diquat and glufosinate-ammonium.