Investigation of herbicides tolerated by Stevia rebaudiana crops.

A pot trial and two field trials evaluate the safety to stevia plants of 25 herbicides, many of which have been used for selective control in other Asteraceae crops. Pre-emergence herbicides that show potential for use in transplanted stevia include trifluralin, pendimethalin, oryzalin, bromacil, terbacil, linuron, methabenzthiazuron and alachlor. Post-emergence treatments that are tolerated reasonably well by stevia include many of the herbicides listed above plus clethodim, haloxyfop, propyzamide, thifensulfuron, flumetsulam and pyridate. Other post-emergence herbicides that cause some crop damage but may merit further research include bentazone, ethofumesate, MCPB, picolinafen, chloridazon and metribuzin. Terbacil and bromacil are the most effective herbicides for weed control, although some crop damage did occur. Controlling weeds through frequent hand-weeding allowed a 30-fold increase in stevia production in one trial, although the best result obtained by herbicides was a 19-fold increase using bromacil immediately before transplanting stevia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]