The Dinitroanaline Herbicides are some of the oldest and most widely used. Sometimes called the yellow herbicides these include Benefin (Balan), Trifluralin (Treflan), Pendimethalin (Prowl), Ethafluralin (Curbit), and Oryzalin (Surflan). They all kill weeds preemergence by inhibiting cell division (mitosis) and elongation at the growing points of seedling roots. The symptoms are clubbed or swollen root tips and the lack of lateral root development. Although these all use the same mode of action and have similar chemical structures, you cannot assume that they all behave the same in the field or have the same effects on the diverse vegetable crops that are grown here. Prowl (Pendimethalin) can be used on artichokes, carrots, tomatoes, peppers and onions but not lettuce or cole crops. Balan (Benefin) can only be used on lettuce. Treflan (Trifluralin) can be used on cole crops, carrots, peppers, mustard greens, established asparagus, celery, chicory, established cucurbits, kale, okra, established onions, potatoes, radish and tomatoes but not lettuce. They all act differently in the soil and require different cultural practices. Prowl, for instance, can be water run , stays in suspension and moves into the soil without mechanical incorporation. Neither Balan nor Treflan stay in suspension when Chemigated and both often require mechanical incorporation.
To contact Barry Tickes go to: btickes@ag.arizona.edu.
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