Efectividad de los ácidos orgánicos para el control de arvenses en cultivos de maíz en el cantón Chone, año 2024.

Abstract

In a study conducted at the Tigrillo farm of the ULEAM University in Chone, the use of bioherbicides as an alternative to commercial herbicides for weed control was evaluated. The treatments tested were: T1 (50% cacao mucilage + water), T2 (15% organic vinegar + water), T3 (15% organic vinegar + 35% cacao mucilage + water), and T4 (commercial herbicide). The results showed that treatment T2 (organic vinegar + water) achieved the highest average weed control efficacy, with 92.4%, followed by T1 (cacao mucilage + water) with 89.5%. Treatment T3, which combined organic vinegar and cacao mucilage, had an average efficacy of 85.3%. The commercial herbicide (T4) showed the best performance, with 98.7% efficacy in weed control. These results suggest that bioherbicides made from natural ingredients such as organic vinegar and cacao mucilage could be viable options for weed management, although their efficacy was lower than that of commercial herbicides. This study indicates that, although natural treatments do not reach the level of control of commercial herbicides, they could be an eco-friendly alternative to reduce the use of chemical products in agriculture.