Absorbents and Chemical Safeners

Adsorbents and chemical safeners are used to protect certain susceptible crops from injury of particular herbicides.

This is useful to use higher dose of herbicides to achieve better weed control without damage of the crop. E. g Activated charcoal has long been used as strong absorbent of herbicides like 2, 4-D and EPTC. It can be applied as seed treatment (Coating seeds with the help of thick gum) or in seedling applied to roots. This is used in crops like maize, tomato, Brinjal and other vegetables. In developed countries activated carbon is placed in seed furrows to protect certain crops from 2, 4-D injury.