Cotton CRC Logo
Did you know?
Water logging may reduce crop yield by up to 1 bale/ha with yields affected before symptoms are noticed.
Home
Industry
Catchments
Communities
  Herbicide Damage Symptoms in Cotton
Photographs by Graham Charles

Introduction
This guide shows some of the more typical damage symptoms seen in Australian cotton from exposure to a range of herbicides. Images were obtained from experiments where known rates of herbicide were applied to irrigated cotton at specific growth stages (follow the >MORE links for trial results and more images). The symptoms of herbicide damage displayed by cotton plants are affected by the type of herbicide, the herbicide rate, the crop growth stage, and environmental factors such as soil moisture, temperature and humidity. Under different conditions, crops may not display the symptoms of damage indicated in these photos. 

 Synthetic Auxin / Phenoxy Herbicide Group
A range of herbicides, collectively known as the phenoxy herbicides and synthetic auxins, affect the plant in a manner similar to endogenous auxin (IAA), a natural plant growth hormone. At low rates they can distort plant growth. At higher concentrations they affect cell walls and nucleic acid metabolism and inhibit cell division and growth, leading to plant death. They are effective in controlling a wide range of broad-leaf weeds.

    2,4-D                                  Synthetic Auxin     Group I
– (symptoms from plants exposed to 8 g a.i./ha at 12 nodes)   Enlarged images          MORE


15 days after exposure

28 days after exposure

 
Dicamba                                     
Synthetic Auxin      Group I
– (symptoms from plants exposed to 28 g a.i./ha at 11 nodes)     Enlarged Image         MORE


6 days after exposure

28 days after exposure


Fluroxypyr                           
           Synthetic Auxin     Group I
– (symptoms from plants exposed to 36 g a.i./ha at 11 nodes)      Enl;arged Images        MORE


6 days after exposure

28 days after exposure

MCPA
                                                         Synthetic Auxin     Group I
(symptoms from plants exposed to 105 g a.i./ha at 11 nodes)          MORE

6 days after exposure

28 days after exposure

2,4-D plus picloram 
                   Synthetic Auxins    Group I
– (symptoms from plants exposed to 30 + 7.5 g a.i./ha at 8 nodes)  Enlarged Images       MORE

7 days after exposure

28 days after exposure

Glyphosate & 2,4-D
                   Synthetic Auxin     Groups I & M
– (symptoms from plants exposed to 35 + 8 g a.i./ha at 12 nodes) Enlarged Images         MORE

15 days after exposure

28 days after exposure

MCPA plus picloram                  Synthetic Auxins    Group I
– (plants exposed to 42 + 2.6 g a.i./ha at 8 nodes)   Enlarged Images            MORE

9 days after exposure

28 days after exposure

Triclopyr plus picloram              Synthetic Auxins     Group I
– (plants exposed to 15 + 0.5 g a.i./ha at 8 nodes) Enlarged Images                         MORE

7 days after exposure

37 days after exposure

 

Other Herbicides - Bleachers

 

A wide range of herbicides other than the phenoxys are commonly used in
agriculture and can cause mildto severe damage to cotton. Damaged plants
can display a wide range of symptoms, but as with the phenoxys, some
symptoms may be fairly general, over a number of herbicides. An example
is the Group C herbicides, which disrupt photosynthesis and at lower rates cause
 leaf bleaching. At higher rates, theycan cause necrosis and leaf death.


Atrazine
                                       Bleacher   Group C
– (symptoms from plants exposed to 200 g a.i./ha at 8 nodes)  Enlarged Images           MORE

15 days after exposure

28 days after exposure
 Bromoxynil                                 Bleacher      Group C
– (symptoms from plants exposed to 30 g a.i./ha at 11 nodes)  Enlarged Images          MORE
 11N_Bromoxynil_lo_1.jpg  11N_bromoxynil_lo_2.jpg
 Cyanazine                                 Bleacher      Group C
– (symptoms from plants exposed to 1.3kg a.i./ha at 5 nodes)  Enlarged Images           
 Cyanazine_1_3KG_5N7Daythmb.jpg
7 days after exposure

 Cyanazine_1_3KG_5N7Daybthmb.jpg
7 days after exposure


 Diuron                                        Bleacher      Group C
– (symptoms from plants exposed to 1.8kg a.i./ha at 5 nodes)  Enlarged Images           
Diuron1_8kg5n7Daythmb.jpg
 7 days after exposure
Diuron1_8kg5n7Daybthmb.jpg 
7 days after exposure
 Fluometuron                                Bleacher      Group C
– (symptoms from plants exposed to 1kg a.i./ha pre planting)  Enlarged Images          
 Fluometuron1kgPrePthmb.jpg  Fluometuron1kgPrePbthmb.jpg
 Prometryn                                   Bleacher      Group C
– (symptoms from plants exposed to 2.3kg a.i./ha at 5 and 15 nodes) Enlarged Images
 Prometryn2_3Kg5N_7daythmb.jpg
7 days after exposure

 Prometryn2_3Kg15N_7daythmb.jpg
 

Simazine                                       Bleacher      Group C
– (symptoms from plants exposed to 1.5 kg a.i./ha at 8 nodes) Enlarged Images          MORE

15 days after exposure

28 days after exposure
 Isoxaflutole                                  Bleacher       Group F
– (symptoms from plants exposed to 37.6g a.i./ha at 9 nodes)  Enlarged Images         MORE
 Isoxaflutole37_5g9N7Daythmb.jpg
7 days after exposure
Isoxaflutole37_5g9N23Daythmb.jpg
23 days after exposure

Glyphosate                         Bleacher minimal symptoms     Group M
– (symptoms from plants exposed to 35 g a.i./ha at 12 nodes) Enlarged Images            MORE

6 days after exposure

28 days after exposure

 

Other Herbicides -

Yellowers
The Group B herbicides disrupt amino acid synthesis, affecting protein biosynthesis.
Many of the Group Bherbicides are effective at very low rates for the control of broadleaf
and some grass weeds and are often used post-emergence in cereal crops. They can
have a longplant-back to cotton,especially on alkaline soils. The symptoms of
Group B damage caninclude bright yellowing of the growing tips.


Chlorsulfuron                              Yellower    Group B
– (symptoms from plants exposed to 7.5 g a.i./ha at 4 nodes)     Enlarged Images       MORE
Chlorsulfuron7_5g4N19Daythmb.jpg
19 days after exposure

Chlorsulfuron7_5g4N25Daythmb.jpg
25 days after exposure


Imazapic                                     Yellower    Group B
– (symptoms from plants exposed to 24 g a.i./ha at 4 nodes)     Enlarged Images          MORE
Imazapic24g4N14Daythmb.jpg
14 days after exposure

Imazapic24g4N27Daythmb.jpg
27 days after exposure


Metasulfuron                                Yellower    Group B
– (symptoms from plants exposed to 2.1 g a.i./ha at 4 nodes)     Enlarged Images           
Metsulfuron2_1g4N14Daythmb.jpg
14 days after exposure

Metsulfuron2_1g4N27Daythmb.jpg
27 days after exposure


Imazapyr                                      Yellower    Group B
– (symptoms from seedlings exposed to soil residues)     Enlarged Images                 
Imazapyrresiduethmb.jpg
19 days after exposure

Imazapyrresiduebthmb.jpg
25 days after exposure

 

Other Herbicides - Desiccants 


Glufosinate
                                          Desiccant                     Group N
– (symptoms from plants exposed to 75 g a.i./ha at 11 nodes) Enlarged Images                 MORE

6 days after exposure

16 days after exposure

Paraquat plus diquat                     Desiccant     Group L
– (plants exposed to 43 + 37 g a.i./ha at 11 nodes)  Enlarged Images                               MORE

6 days after exposure

16 days after exposure

More time sequence photos for 2,4-D and
Glyphosate  and Glyphosate plus 2,4-D

  2,4-D at 8 g a.i./ha on 12 node cotton
  2,4-D at 80 g a.i./ha on 12 node cotton
  Glyphosate at 173 g a.i./ha on 12 node cotton
  Glyphosate+2,4-d at 173+80 g a.i./ha at 12 nodes
  Glyphosate+2,4-d at 35+8 g a.i./ha at 12 nodes

Print this page
footer separator image
footer image
© Copyright The Cotton CRC 2011   :    Privacy Policy   :    Disclaimer   :    Sitemap