EN
The objective of this research was to develop an efficacious and cost-effective weed control program using a mixture of herbicides at low rates plus effective oil adjuvants applied sequentially. Single herbicide treatments applied at recommended timing and rates were commercial formulations of mesotrione at 150 g/ha, foramsulfuron + iodosulfuron at 45 + 1.5 g/ha + methylated seed oil (MSO) adjuvant at 1.5 l/ha, and dicamba at 240 g/ha. The standard herbicides in each experiment also were applied as reduced-rate mixtures, sequentially at 14- to 18-day intervals. Rates for herbicides in mixtures were reduced two- to four times and applied with a MSO adjuvant in combination with or without liquid urea-ammonium nitrate fertilizer (28% N). Broadleaf and grass weed control with standard herbicide treatments was low and varied from 26 to 83%. Herbicide mixtures at reduced rates (mesotrione + foramsulfuron + iodosulfuron + dicamba at 25 + 7.5 + 0.25 + 120 g/ha, respectively) with MSO adjuvant split-applied at 14- to 18-day intervals greatly increased weed control without phytotoxicity on maize and provided two to four times higher increase of maize grain yield and net return as compared to the standard herbicides applied once.