Due to the steadily increasing cost of weed control in corn (Zea mays L.) and possible negative impact of chemicals on environment the demand for less and more efficient herbicide use is rising. Field studies were carried out in 2010 and 2011 in the Middle-West Poland in order to assessment the effective weed control. Treatments included herbicides tembotrione and flufenacet + isoxaflutole at recommended (88.0 and 36.0 + 7.5 g ha -1 ) and reduced rates (44 and 22 g ha -1 ; 19.2 + 4.0 or 9.6 + 2.0 g ha -1 ) with addition of methylated seed oil (MSO) and ammonium nitrate (AMN) adjuvants. Tembotrione was applied once at the stage of 3-5 maize leaves and flufenacet + isoxaflutole once at pre-emergence of maize. Mixtures of these herbicides were applied sequentially post-emergence, at 16-20-d intervals, after successive weed emergence. Results indicate that herbicide applied at reduced rates with adjuvants provided satisfactory weed control in maize. Application of reduced rates of tembotrione (44 and 22 g ha -1) and especially mixture of tembotrione with flufenacet + isoxaflutole and MSO + AMN adjuvants applied twice provided similar grain yield of maize as from treatments where tembotrione or flufenacet + isoxaflutole herbicides were applied only once at recommended rates (9.5, 9.7, and 10.0 t ha -1 , respectively).

The effectiveness of herbicides is affected by the pH of the spray liquid. The use of adjuvants can mitigate the negative effect of pH, and it also allows for a reduction in herbicide doses while maintaining high efficiency. Greenhouse studies were performed to evaluate the efficacy of the herbicide sulcotrione (HRAC F2), against barnyardgrass, at full or reduced doses with adjuvants, and a modified pH of the solutions. The contact angle and surface tension of liquid spray drops, as well as the shear viscosity of individual solutions, were also tested. Results indicated that at a low pH of the spray liquid (4), the use of a reduced dose of sulcotrione with adjuvant based on methylated rapeseed oil can increase the effectiveness of barnyardgrass control to the same level as at the full dose of herbicide. The use of adjuvants contributed to the reduction in the contact angle and the surface tension of liquid spray droplets. No significant differences in shear viscosity were observed for individual solutions.

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Field trials were conducted with preemergence dimethanamid-P + pendimethalin (D + P; 850 + 1000 g·ha−1) and reduced rates (637.5 + 750 g·ha−1 and 452 + 500 g·ha−1, 75% and 50% of label rate), followed by strongly reduced rates of postemergence herbicides nicosulfuron + rimsulfuron + dicamba (N + R + D; 4 + 15.6 + 93.5 g·ha−1, 50%), tembotrione (T; 33 g·ha−1, 50%), mesotrione + nicosulfuron (M + N; 37.5 + 15 g·ha−1, 50%), foramsulfuron + iodosulfuron (F + J; 7.5 + 0.25 g·ha−1, 20%), and nikosulfuron (N; 15 g·ha−1, 33%) applied with methylated seed oil (MSO; 1.0 L·ha−1) and ammonium nitrate (AMN; 2 kg·ha−1) on 3–5 leaves of maize to assess weed control, grain yield, and economic net return. Reduced rate of soil-applied herbicide followed by reduced rates of any postemergence herbicides applied with adjuvants was the most efficacious weed control program, provided the highest grain yield of maize and similar or higher economic net return, despite 44 to 48% lower herbicide input than the program based on soil-applied herbicide mixture only. It brings not only notable economic benefits but also less negative impact on the environment.

A field experiment was carried out in 2019–2021. The effect of an increased amount of iron in water and the addition of citric acid on the efficacy of herbicides applied in maize cultivation at various times was tested. In the pre-emergence treatment, thiencarbazone-methyl + isoxaflutole were applied, while in the post-emergence treatment, nicosulfuron + tritosulfuron + dicamba were applied once in a full dose or in low dose system at two times in half of the recommended dose with the addition of an adjuvant. In selected combinations, FeSO4 × 7H2O and citric acid were added to the composition of the spray solution. The species composition of weeds and the efficacy of the herbicides used were determined. Plant stress caused by competition from weeds was investigated by measuring the plant chlorophyll fluorescence. The height of the cultivated plants and their yield level were also determined. The lowest efficacy of weed control was observed when the post-emergence herbicides were applied once. Increasing the iron content in water reduced the efficacy of the herbicides, but the addition of citric acid made it possible to decrease this problem.

To reduce the cost of intensive herbicide application and environment pollution and enhance biological effectiveness, effective multifunction adjuvants should be used. A field study was conducted in 2017–2019 in midwestern Poland in order to assess the effects of new adjuvant formulations on the activity of herbicides. Treatments included the herbicide nicosulfuron at recommended (40 g ha−1) and reduced rates (28 g ha−1) alone and with the addition of tested MSO 1, MSO 2, and MSO 3 (differing in the type and amount of surfactants), as well as standard (MSO 4 and NIS) adjuvants. Nicosulfuron was applied once during the 3–5 leaf stage of maize. Results indicate that nicosulfuron with the tested adjuvants provided satisfactory weed control equivalent to that provided by standard MSO 4 and better than that provided by NIS. Nicosulfuron applied with the tested adjuvants led to a similar grain yield of maize as that achieved with standard adjuvant treatments and much higher than that measured in untreated crops.

The biological efficacy of herbicides MCPA+tribenuron-methyl (code name: MT-565 SG) and diflufenican+chlorotoluron (Legato Pro 425 SC) was estimated in eighteen field experiments on winter cereals in Poland and Germany to control broadleaf weeds. Postemergence application of tribenuron-methyl in combination with MCPA, applied at the 3-leaf stage to 3 tillers detectable in autumn in winter cereals, resulted in the majority of weed species occurring in autumn being effectively eliminated with MCPA+tribenuron-methyl applied at 1.0 kg∙ha–1. It also provided an acceptable (82.4–94.1%) and comparable level of control to commonly occurring weeds Brassica napus, Capsella bursa-pastoris, Centaurea cyanus, Lamium purpureum, Tripleurospermum inodorum, Stellaria media, and Thlaspi arvense. A satisfactory level of control of 66.3 to 88.3% was confirmed for Veronica persica, Viola arvensis, and Galium aparine. According to these results, the formulation of tribenuron-methyl combined with MCPA can be recommended for application in winter cereals in the autumn as an alternative to commonly available herbicides.

In the period 2017–2019, field experiments were conducted at the Research and Education Center Gorzyń, unit Złotniki (52°486′ N; 16°819′ E), Poznan University of Life Sciences, at the Luvisols, under natural weather conditions, to evaluate the effect of multifunctional methylated seed oil (EXP 1, 2, and 3) and standard adjuvants (AtB and S) on the efficacy of mixtures phenmedipham + ethofumesate and metamitron applied in full (PEM 1) and reduced rates (PEM 2) in sugar beet. Field studies were carried out and three applications of herbicides were administrated subsequent to the emergence of weeds (BBCH 11–12). PEM applied at reduced rates with EXP was more effective than after AtB and S adjuvants. They enabled the attainment of high and consistent efficacy of herbicides (with EXP—96–97%, AtB—97%, S—95%, compared to PEM 1—93%, and PEM 2—82%), irrespective of varying weather conditions during, and subsequent to, their application. The sugar beet root yield from herbicide treatments after tested adjuvants was higher than from the untreated control and after application of reduced rates of herbicides without adjuvants.