Chemicals in Weed Killers

There are chemeicals to kill almost any type of weed.

Weed killers, also called herbicides, help eliminate unwanted plants from gardens, crops or pastures. Weeds can grow in abundance and compete with other plants for nutrients found in the soil, water and even sunlight, especially as a weed matures. In addition, some weeds are toxic, can cause rashes on human skin or grow scratchy thorns. The best way to control weeds is to eliminate them early, and weed killers can do just that.

Diquat Dibromide

Diquat dibromide is a chemical in weed killers that regulates the growth of the invasive plant. Cornell University states that this chemical acts quickly and only affects the parts of the plant the chemical touches. However, when an individual applies diquat dibromide to a plant that is not a weed, it will also sustain the chemical's effects. Diqaut dibromide works by drying a weed out quickly. Plants that benefit from diquat dibromide, according to Cornell University, include potato vines, aquatic plants, seed crops and sugarcanes.

2, 4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid (2, 4-D)

2, 4-D kills weeds by altering the way the cells grow within them. An individual may use 2, 4-D to kill weeds with wide leaves growing in grass, according to the National Pesticide Information Center at Oregon State University. This auxin-type herbicide kills weeds by causing the cells within a weed responsible for the distribution of water and nutrients throughout the plant to divide and grow uncontrollably. Including the weeds found in residential lawns, 2, 4-D helps control weeds in aquatic environments, pastures, roadways, crops, rangeland and in fields of corn, wheat, soybeans, hazelnuts, barley and sugarcane. According to the NPIC, 2, 4-D does not kill grass.

Glyphosate

Glyphosate is a broad-spectrum and nonselective herbicide found in the form of an isopropylamine salt, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. When applied to a weed, the leaves quickly absorb the glyphosate and distribute it throughout the plant. Glyphosate does not allow the production of amino acids in weeds; therefore, the weed is not able to synthesize proteins correctly. As a result, the weed stops growing and eventually dies. This chemical helps control weeds that come in the form of grass, perennial weeds with deep roots, broadleaf trees, shrubs, brush or coniferous trees. However, glyphosate does not does not work on all woody plants an individual may consider a weed. In addition, glyphosate is no longer dangerous to a weed once the chemical reaches the soil, according to the USDA, so weeds cannot absorb the herbicide via their roots.

References

• Cornell University: Diquat Dibromide
• National Pesticide Information Center: 2,4-D Technical Fact Sheet
• U.S. Department of Agriculture: Glyphosate Herbicide Information Profile