LUMAX ® : AN ALTERNATIVE TO ATRAZINE FOR PRE- AND POST-EMERGENCE CONTROL OF WEEDS IN SUGARCANE

By S. SEERUTTUN, C. BARBE and A. GAUNGOO 
Mauritius Sugar Industry Research Institute, Réduit, Mauritius
sseeruttun@msiri.intnet.mu

Abstract

ATRAZINEhas successfully been used for more than 40 years in various tank-mixes for both
pre- and post-emergence control of weeds in sugarcane. However, the product is banned in
the EU for environmental reasons. Lumax®, consisting of three active ingredients namely mesotrione (0.0375 kg a.i./L), terbutylazine (0.125 kg a.i./L) and s-metolachlor (0.375 kg a.i./L), has been evaluated as a
substitute for atrazine in Mauritius in 10 field trials in both plant and ratoon sugarcane. Lumax® at rates varying between 3.5 and 5.0 L/ha proved effective on a wide spectrum of broad-leaved weeds and some grasses, including Digitaria horizontalis. In general, Lumax® was superior to the standard s-metolachlor + atrazine and comparable to the tank-mixes tebuthiuron + atrazine and oxyfluorfen + diuron.
In post-emergence of weeds, although Lumax® tank-mixed with 2,4-D amine salt showed a better control of weeds than atrazine tank-mixed with s-metolachlor + 2,4-D amine salt, it was slightly inferior to the other standards containing hexazinone or tebuthiuron. In all situations, Lumax® provided a residual activity varying between 10 and 12 weeks and showed no phytotoxicity on the various sugarcane varieties tested. Lumax®
has been recommended as an alternative to atrazineat rates varying between 4.0 and 5.0 L/ha.

KEYWORDS: Mesotrione, Terbuthylazine,
S-Metolachlor.

Agronomy-  Proc. Int. Soc. Sugar Cane Technol., Vol. 27, 2010
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