Effectiveness of pelargonic acid as a herbicide in sunflower, soybean and corn crops

The increase in field contamination due to the spread of minimal and zero tillage technologies requires protective measures using chemical pesticides. Due to the limitations of the use of glyphosate in the assortment, there is a vacant niche for new herbicides capable of having a general destructive effect. In field small-scale experiments conducted during the 2022 and 2023 seasons, in sunflower crops of the Yenisei variety, soybeans of the Marina variety and corn hybrids of the EU Catamaran and RNIISK 1, high efficiency of the use of pelargonic acid (525 g/l) as a herbicide before the emergence of crops was established. On average, when applying 21 l/ha of the acid, the reduction in total weed contamination was 87, 35 l/ha – 93, 49 l/ha – 96%, respectively. All weed species present in the experiment were highly sensitive to pelargonic acid (525 g/l). 15 days after its introduction at a rate of 49 l/ha, the reduction of amount of the redroot pigweed and such cereal weeds as millet, gray bristle, and barnyard millet was at the level of 94–98%, the reduction of amount of all other weed species was 100%. The reduction of clogging after the application of pelargonic acid led to a significant increase in crop yields compared with the untreated control. The increase in soybean yield reached 17.7, corn – 78.2, sunflower – 108%.