Key facts
From KisanPe's verified data. Confirm prices and doses with the seller, label or official source before acting.
- Category
- Herbicide
- Mode of action
- Systemic Non-Selective
- Target crops
- Tea Plantations, Non-Crop Areas, Bunds & Field Channels, Post-Harvest Stubble
- Target pests
- Broadleaf Weeds, Annual Grasses, Perennial Sedges, Cyperus rotundus (Motha)
Active Ingredient and EPSPS Enzyme Mode of Action
Glyphosate belongs to the glycine chemical family (HRAC Group 9), functioning as an EPSPS synthase inhibitor.
It blocks 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate (EPSPS) synthase, preventing the biosynthesis of essential aromatic amino acids (phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan) required for plant protein synthesis and growth.
- Active Molecule: Glyphosate 71% SG (Soluble Granules, ammonium salt)
- Systemic Phloem Translocation: Rapidly absorbed through green foliage and translocated basipetally to underground rhizomes, stolons, and root crowns
- Complete Kill: Kills both above-ground vegetation and deep subterranean roots of perennial weeds
- Soil Inactivation: Rapidly adsorbed and deactivated by soil clay minerals and microbes, leaving zero pre-emergence soil residual activity
Approved Uses and Statutory Regulations in India
Under central regulatory directives issued by the Ministry of Agriculture, the use of glyphosate is strictly restricted to tea plantations and designated non-crop areas.
It must be applied through authorized Pest Control Operators (PCOs) or trained farm applicators to prevent spray drift onto non-target crops.
- Tea Plantations: Directed spray between tea bush rows to control stubborn perennial grasses and broadleaves
- Non-Crop Zones: Clearing weeds along railway tracks, industrial yards, electric substations, and canal embankments
- Strictly Prohibited: Prohibited as a broadcast spray over standing food crops or as a pre-harvest desiccant
Application Protocol and Drift Safeguards
Apply glyphosate when target weeds are actively growing with succulent green foliage.
Always use a protective spray hood or drift guard over the nozzle to prevent spray droplets from contacting green stems or leaves of desirable plants.
- Application Rate: Apply according to CIBRC label directions using 150 to 200 liters of clean water per acre
- Nozzle & Drift Shield: Use flat-fan nozzles fitted with a protective plastic spray shield at low operating pressure
- Water Quality: Use clean, silt-free water; suspended clay particles in muddy water bind and inactivate glyphosate molecules
Official source
Check the latest rules, benefits and forms here. KisanPe is an independent platform and is not a government website.
Central Insecticides Board & Registration Committee ↗Related on KisanPe
Common questions
What is the regulatory restriction on glyphosate use in India?
Under central government directives, glyphosate is restricted for use exclusively in tea plantations and non-cropped land areas.
How does glyphosate kill perennial weeds?
It translocates systemically through the phloem to deep underground rhizomes and roots, inhibiting aromatic amino acid synthesis and destroying the entire root system.
Why does muddy water reduce glyphosate efficacy?
Glyphosate binds strongly to suspended soil particles and clay minerals in water, which deactivates the chemical before it reaches plant leaves.
General guidance, not personal advice. For your farm, ask your local Krishi Vigyan Kendra or agriculture officer.
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