Ah, have times have changed. When Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., published its first “Compendium of Herbicide Adjuvants” in 1992, it contained 76 listings from 22 companies.
Thirteen editions later, and the 2016 version lists 779 products from 38 companies. Each listing contains the product name, principal functioning agents, use rates, special comments, and name of the manufacturer or distributor.
Several factors have contributed to the increased popularity of adjuvants over the past decades, says Bryan Young, a professor of weed science and publication editor.
“Foliar herbicide applications continue to be a critical part of weed management and growers must optimize herbicide efficacy to minimize the risk of herbicide failure that favors the selection of herbicide-resistant weeds,” he said in a university news release. “In addition, significant advancements and innovations in herbicide adjuvant chemistry have evolved that allow for the combination of multiple adjuvant chemistries into a single multi-functional product.”
The compendium is designed to allow users to compare adjuvants within or across different categories.
A print version is available for $5.50 from the university’s “Education Store.” It also is available free as a pdf download.