Potential Of Acetic Acid, Pelargonic Acid And Pine Extract As "Organic Herbicides"

R. A. Barbour¹, T. M. Wolf¹, B. C. Caldwell¹ and E. N. Johnson²

The use of foliar sprays may help conserve soil and water in organic agriculture.

Experiments were conducted to investigate the potential of acetic acid (vinegar), pine extract (Interceptor™) and pelargonic acid (Scythe®) as foliar weed control agents on broadleaf and grassy weeds. Products were mixed with water at concentrations ranging from 3 to 20%, and applied with flat fan sprays at 50 to 2000 L/ha. Effects on oriental mustard (Brassica juncea) and tame oat (Avena sativa) were evaluated using dose response modelling.

At high doses, vinegar controlled mustard but not oats, suggesting an opportunity for in-crop selectivity. Pine extract showed less selectivity than vinegar. Pelargonic acid worked faster and gave more complete control than pine extract or vinegar on mustard and oats, and was non-selective on tested plants. Relative potency was similar or varied slightly with plant growth stage for all products. Overall use rates at which control was obtained were high, and further research is required to determine the economic feasibility of these products.


Source
2nd OACC Organic Research Workshop, Presented in association with the Organic Connections: Prairie Wide Organic Conference and Trade Show, November 14-16th, 2004


Author Locations & Affiliations
(1) Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada, Saskatoon, SK.
(2) Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada, Scott, SK. *Correspondence: johnsone@agr.gc.ca


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