Benefits to the environment
“Paraquat – Farming for the future”
Over the past decade modern farming methods have attracted criticism, particularly for neglect of the environment and natural resources such as soil and water. Paraquat has not only been proven safe to the environment, but it has also demonstrated several key environmental benefits:
Improved soil fertility
Paraquat’s contact-only action allows farmers to control weeds without killing their roots, making it an ideal herbicide for use in conservation and no-till systems.
Field studies have shown that no-till systems using paraquat:
- increase organic matter
- reduce carbon dioxide emissions by allowing the soil to act as a better carbon sink
- have higher microbial populations and surface microarthropods
- have higher earthworm populations
Reduced soil erosion
Because paraquat controls weeds without killing the roots, it also contributes significantly to soil conservation.
Preservation of soil moisture
By enabling no-tilling farming, which preserves soil moisture, paraquat plays a vital role in helping growers to retain water for crop growth.
No residue
Since paraquat only exhibits contact action and there is no residual action, no detectable residues are found in most food crops.