How to use Glyphosate to increase sugar recovery in sugarcane, by spraying? irrigation?

Question

Round-up labels say it is ineffective when it reaches the soil, it is only effective when sprayed onto the foliage... but ounce it reaches the soil its gone.

Answer 1

There is a whole lot said about glyphosphate without saying anything, almost like a politicians speech. It needs to come in contact with the weeds to work. When it gets in the soil there is some immediate degrading that seems to be worse the more warm the soil is. I don't know if that is temperature related or soil type related. Warm and tropical soils are very different from cold climate soil chemistry. The binding of the chemical to soil components changes it's structure but it is still there in different forms. It can persist for the longest time in the colder regions in whole or changed, and does get into the environment. The label would be right in that it becomes ineffective in the soil. But that doesn't mean "gone". There was something said in an article I read about "misleading test information" so it is hard to sort out.

If you have to use it, it has to get on the weed. You don't want it to get on the crop. It may drift in the soil but it depends on the soil conditions, chemistry and moisture to be sure. I don't know if it can be applied with a roller instead of spraying, maybe.

Answer 2

With irrigation water.

Answer 3

They recommend that you spray it on 15 days before harvesting and to irrigate after you spray it.  You should read up before using chemical ripening agents on cane.  It is effective in some areas and not in others.

http://www.ars.usda.gov/Research/docs.ht...

http://www.cababstractsplus.org/google/a...