Weeds 



Oil-soluble amine formulations of 2,4-D have been available under the trade names 

 Dacamine and Emulsamine. These oil-soluble amines of 2,4-D are said to have "the 

 effectiveness of an ester and the safety of an amine." 



The regular esters of 2,4-D are formulated in oil and mixed with water to make an 

 emulsion for spraying. The amines are salts that are purchased with the salt 

 already dissolved in a concentrated solution, which is mixed with water for spray- 

 ing. 



When the oily-ester formulation is mixed with water, the resulting emulsion has a 

 milky appearance, with the oil globules dispersed in the water. The amines form 

 a true solution, just like salt or sugar in water; so the spray mixture does not 

 have the milky appearance. 



The ester formulations with oil penetrate through the waxy layer on the surface of 

 leaves better than the amines. This is one of the reasons why 1/6 to 1/4 pound of 

 2,4-D ester generally does about the same job as 1/2 pound of 2,4-D amine. Provid- 

 ing the rate is adjusted, the amine form of 2,4-D is usually about equally effec- 

 tive for killing weeds. But it is safer than the ester, since the amine is less 

 volatile. 



The oil -soluble amines are similar to the esters in the way they penetrate leaf 

 surfaces; hence the reason for saying they have the "effectiveness of esters." 

 Since they are still amines, volatility is not a problem; hence the reason for 

 saying they have the "safety of amines." 



Don't expect miracles from the oil-soluble amines. Essentially, they are just a 

 different formulation of 2,4-D. Crop tolerance and the degree of weed control 

 will probably be about the same as with other forms of 2,4-D, providing the in- 

 dicated rates and other directions for application are followed. 



Herbicide Combinations . There's a right way and a wrong way to mix herbicide com- 

 binations consisting of emulsifiable concentrates (EC) and wettable powders (WP) . 

 Before you mix a large amount, test the proportions on a small scale. Some manu- 

 facturers suggest this procedure: First add the EC and agitate the solution 

 thoroughly. Premix the WP with a small amount of water, add it to the EC solution, 

 and continue agitating the mixture. When using aldrin and atrazine together, use 

 fertilizer-grade aldrin in an emulsifier; also, be careful to watch for spray line 

 clogging with this combination. NOTE: This combination may be less effective than 

 either aldrin or atrazine used alone, since aldrin should be disked- in immediately 

 upon application for greatest effectiveness. 



Aquatic Plants in Ponds . No doubt some of the common aquatic plants, such as curly - 

 leaf pondweed and small pondweed, will soon be abundant in many lakes and ponds in 

 Illinois. Sago pondweed and leafy pondweed will also be appearing soon. In a 

 matter of just a few weeks after the above aquatic plants first are observed in 

 the water, they will severely infest much of the water space. Now is the time to 

 apply herbicides for the control of these species, using such herbicides as endo- 

 thall at the rate of 1 p. p.m. or diquat cation at 0.5 p. p.m. Follow label direc- 

 tions. The application of herbicide prior to seed development will help reduce 

 infestations in future years. Curlyleaf pondweed and small pondweed will persist 

 if not treated until mid-summer. Sago pondweed and leafy pondweed will persist 

 through the summer. Usually elimination of the existing stands of curlyleaf 



