The importance of pH for herbicide effectiveness and soil health

Soil pH not only affects nutrient uptake, but also determines how effective herbicides and insecticides are. Here’s how pH affects your agronomic efforts:

Impact on chemical protectants – Low pH can reduce the effectiveness of herbicides and insecticides, making it harder to control weeds and pests.

Effect of pH on herbicides

The effectiveness of herbicides depends on pH. Read the herbicide label carefully!

• Soil herbicides – the effectiveness of these herbicides is highly dependent on soil pH, as it affects the chemical stability and mobility of chemicals in the soil.
• Foliar herbicides – although these herbicides are applied to the leaves, soil pH is still important as it affects the uptake of herbicides by weeds.

The effect of pH on insecticides

• Inappropriate pH levels can accelerate the breakdown of insecticides, reducing their effectiveness.
• The optimum pH ensures better solubility of insecticides, helping them to control pests more effectively.
• The pH level affects the microorganisms in the soil that help break down insecticides.

Metal solubility – Depending on the pH, heavy metals can be more or less soluble, which affects their toxicity to plants.

Disease development – Some diseases thrive in acidic or alkaline soils, so maintaining a pH balance can help protect your crops.

Knowing how to respond to pH is the foundation for successful high yields and healthy plants.

Let’s go for your dream harvests!