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Crop desiccation

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Desiccated potato plants prior to harvest

Pre-harvest crop desiccation (also siccation ) refers to the application of a herbicide to a crop shortly before harvest. Herbicides used include glyphosate, diquat and glufosinate. For potatoes, carfentrazone-ethyl is used. Other desiccants are cyanamide, cinidon-ethyl, and pyraflufen. Uneven crop growth is a problem in northern climates, with wet summers, or poor weed control. With desiccation a number of advantages are cited: More even ripening is achieved and harvest can be conducted earlier; weed control is initiated for a future crop; earlier ripening allows for earlier replanting; desiccation reduces green material in the harvest putting less strain on harvesting machinery. Some crop may be mechanically destroyed when crop desiccation machinery moves through the field.

The application of glyphosate differs between countries significantly. It is commonly used in the UK where summers are wet and crops may ripen unevenly. Thus in the UK 78% of oilseed rape is desiccated before harvest, but only 4% in Germany. Austria and Switzerland have banned desiccation practices.

Applications

Pre-harvest desiccation has been applied to a wide variety of crops including:

Controversy

In April 2015, Grain Millers, announced that it was refusing oats in which glyphosate had been used as a desiccant, stating that it affected the integrity of the groats and lowered levels of beta-glucan. Other millers, scientists and farmers noted that they were not aware of published evidence that glyphosate affected the quality of oats.

References

  1. "Assessment of large-scale test – Pre-harvest siccation in rape". Feiffer-consult. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
  2. ^ "The agronomic benefits of glyphosate in Europe" (PDF). Monsanto Europe SA. February 2010. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
  3. ^ "Desiccation programmes". Potato Council. 2 August 2011. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
  4. ^ Brändli D, Reinacher S (January 2012). "Herbicides found in human urine". Ithaka Journal. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
  5. Industry Task Force on Glyphosate (21 November 2013). "Preharvest weed control and desiccation". Retrieved 15 January 2014.
  6. Industry Task Force on Glyphosate (8 January 2014). "Preharvest use of glyphosate:Recent Austrian decision". Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  7. Arnason, Robert (22 April 2015). "Oat buyer says no glyphosate pre-harvest". The Western Producer. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
  8. Arnason, Robert (28 May 2015). "Richardson Milling says glyphosate dessication acceptable for its oats". The Western Producer. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
  9. Arnason, Robert (30 April 2015). "Buyer refuses oats desiccated with glyphosate due to quality loss". The Western Producer. Retrieved 8 June 2015.

External links

Media related to Crop desiccation at Wikimedia Commons

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