2

Roundup's Glyphosate is very expensive and only available in low percentage in my country. I was able to find glyphosate online for a lower price and an higher percentage. It's labeled as Ammonium glyphosate, so what's the difference between Roundup's Glyphosate and Ammonium Glyphosate?

oliveoil10
  • 21
  • 1

2 Answers2

4

The "active" form of glyphosate is an acid, but to stabilize it for packaging it is sold as several different salts of the acid. Monsanto's formulations use the isopropylamine salt. Other salts used are mononammonium, diammonium, and potassium.

For efficient use as a herbicide it needs to be mixed with other ingredients such as surfactants and emulsifiers to control the droplet size when it is sprayed, and improve absorption into the plant leaves. For commercial agricultural use, these may be mixed separately with the glyphosate at the time of use.

So the strength and effectiveness of the product, and the correct way to use it, will depend on exactly what you are buying.

alephzero
  • 11,339
  • 1
  • 14
  • 22
2

Timing and weather and age of crop is critical. My question is why or when does a farmer use spray glyphosate to 'get rid of weeds'. Weeds have NEVER been on my list of things to do in gardening. It is just to easy to physically control weeds. Strength of glyphosate is just not important: it is timing and the species of your target weeds. Why are farmers so wigged out with weeds? Seriously, weeds are unable to grow so big and so fast as to harm anything within one season. Glyphosate got bad mouthed so badly people have no idea what to do. Weeds have NEVER in 60 years of gardening full time been a problem in my experience. And we are spraying SPRAYING glyphosate over cash crops?

Adding ammonium allows glyphosate to be sprayed and have it stay sprayed on the same target plants. Glyphosate is not some plant material killer. It takes almost a month for the glyphosate to kill a plant roots then UP. During which time one can not plant seeds or starts in that area for 3 to 4 weeks after spraying. I gotta understand the why of using this herbicide on crops. Is it just some given ritual?

stormy
  • 40,098
  • 3
  • 31
  • 75