REPLACEMENT OF ATRAZINE WITH ENVIROMENT FRIENDLY PRE-EMERGENCE HERBICIDES

As an EU candidate country, Croatia is facing the implementation of new regulations on plant protection products. Atrazine banning requires new solutions for weed control. This paper compares the efficacy of registered herbicides in maize which can replace atrazine in pre-emergence. Combinations of terbuthylazine, mesotrione, isoxaflutole and flumioxazin with acetochlor are compared with atrazine+acetochlor through control percentages of total, broadleaved and grass weed numbers. Results are obtained from herbicide trials conducted over several years and locations. Treatment efficacy was dependent on precipitation. With terbuthylazine+acetochlor, mesotrione+acetochlor and flumioxazin+acetochlor similar weed control was obtained as with atrazine+acetochlor. Isoxaflutole+acetochlor provided better weed control results than atrazine+acetochlor. The tested herbicides can be considered possible substitutes for atrazine and, like atrazine, all need the assistance of herbicides efficient on grass weeds.