HPPD Inhibitor Chemistry and Bleaching Action
Tembotrione acts as an inhibitor of 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (4-HPPD), an essential enzyme in plastoquinone and carotenoid pigment biosynthesis. Without protective carotenoids, chlorophyll molecules undergo rapid photo-oxidation in sunlight, causing characteristic bleaching (whitening) of weed foliage followed by tissue necrosis within days.
Maize plants metabolize Tembotrione rapidly into inactive metabolites, providing high crop safety when applied as directed.
- Grassy weeds: Echinochloa colona, Digitaria sanguinalis, and Dactyloctenium aegyptium.
- Broadleaf weeds: Amaranthus viridis, Trianthema portulacastrum, Chenopodium album, and Commelina benghalensis.
- Isoxadifen-ethyl safener: Formulations contain a specific crop safener that accelerates herbicide degradation inside corn tissue.
- Application window: Applied post-emergence when maize is at 2 to 4 leaf stage and weeds have 2 to 4 leaves.
Application Guidelines and Adjuvant Selection
Herbicide performance depends on pairing Tembotrione with the recommended methylated seed oil (MSO) or specialized adjuvant to ensure penetration across waxy weed leaves.
Applying when soil moisture is adequate enhances systemic xylem and phloem translocation to weed meristems.
- Always blend with the manufacturer-recommended adjuvant (such as Stivanto or MSO) for uniform leaf spreading.
- Calibrate knapsack or tractor sprayers using flat fan nozzles to achieve uniform swath coverage.
- Observe the pre-harvest withholding interval before harvesting maize cobs or green fodder.
Official source
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Central Insecticides Board & Registration Committee ↗Related on KisanPe
Common questions
What chemical group does Tembotrione belong to?
Tembotrione belongs to the triketone family (HRAC Group 27), functioning as an HPPD inhibitor that causes weed bleaching.
Why do weeds turn pure white after spraying Tembotrione?
It inhibits carotenoid biosynthesis; without carotenoids, excess solar energy destroys chlorophyll, bleaching weed leaves white.
Is Tembotrione safe for intercropped pulses in maize fields?
No, Tembotrione is selective only to maize; it will severely damage or kill intercropped pulses like moong, urad, or soybean.
General guidance, not personal advice. For your farm, ask your local Krishi Vigyan Kendra or agriculture officer.
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