Clomazone 50% EC Herbicide Uses

Clomazone 50% EC is an isoxazolidinone herbicide registered for use in India under the Insecticides Act, 1968, formulated as an emulsifiable concentrate (EC). It is registered for control of grassy weeds, sedges and certain broadleaf weeds in soybean, transplanted rice and sugarcane, and acts mainly through the soil on germinating weeds. This page lists its mode of action, key benefits and the recommended dosage per crop as per the official Central Insecticides Board & Registration Committee (CIB&RC) list of approved herbicide uses (Government of India).

Which Weeds Does This Control? (Field Identification Guide)

Not sure whether the weeds in your field match this herbicide's use case? This guide helps match weed identification to this herbicide's approved crop-wise uses.

Mode of Action

Clomazone belongs to the isoxazolidinone group of herbicides (HRAC Group 13, formerly Group F4) and inhibits DXP synthase (1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate synthase), an early step in the pathway plants use to make carotenoid pigments. Carotenoids protect chlorophyll from sunlight; without them chlorophyll is destroyed, so susceptible weed seedlings emerge white or bleached and die soon after. Clomazone is taken up mainly by the roots and emerging shoots of germinating weeds from the soil, and is used as a pre-emergence treatment rather than against established weeds.

Features & Benefits

• Controls key grassy weeds such as Echinochloa (sawa), Digitaria and Dactyloctenium (makra), along with the sedges and broadleaf weeds listed for each crop, such as Cyperus (motha), Parthenium (gajar ghaas) and Trianthema (bishkhapra).
• Registered in three major crops — soybean, transplanted rice and sugarcane.
• Distinctive white bleaching of emerging weeds makes it easy to see that the herbicide is working.
• Group 13 mode of action differs from the ALS (Group 2), ACCase (Group 1) and other commonly used herbicide groups, making it a useful rotation partner for resistance management.

Recommended Usage of Clomazone 50% EC Herbicide

The table below gives the recommended dose, water volume and waiting period per acre for each crop, converted from the CIB&RC-registered per-hectare rate — see the note below the table for conversion details. Always spray in the recommended water volume for uniform coverage, and confirm against the current product label before use.

Figures above are converted from the CIB&RC-registered per-hectare rates (1 ha ≈ 2.47 acres): Soybean — 0.75–1.00 kg a.i./ha, 1.5–2.0 L formulation/ha, 500–600 L water/ha, waiting period 90 days; Transplanted Rice — 0.4–0.5 kg a.i./ha, 0.8–1.0 L formulation/ha, 500–750 L water/ha, waiting period 90 days; Sugarcane — 0.75–1.00 kg a.i./ha, 1.5–2.0 L formulation/ha, 500 L water/ha, waiting period 296 days. Always confirm the current dose on your specific product's label before use.

How to Use

1. Confirm your crop matches one of this herbicide's approved uses listed above, and identify the weeds present using the guide above.
2. Fill the spray tank half-way with clean water, add the measured dose, stir well, and then top up to the full volume while stirring.
3. Apply as a pre-emergence spray onto moist, well-prepared soil soon after sowing or planting (soybean, sugarcane) or soon after transplanting (rice), before weeds emerge — follow the product label for the exact timing and, in rice, for field water management.
4. Use a knapsack or power sprayer fitted with a flat-fan nozzle for even coverage, and avoid overlapping spray passes, which raise the dose and can cause crop injury.
5. Spray in calm weather, avoiding windy or very hot conditions and rain expected within a few hours — clomazone can move off-target as spray drift or vapour.

Precautions & Safety

• Wear appropriate PPE — mask/respirator, gloves, goggles and full-sleeved clothing — while mixing and spraying, and avoid skin and eye contact and inhaling the spray mist.
• Clomazone belongs to herbicide Group 13 (DXP synthase inhibitors); avoid repeated, season-after-season use of the same mode-of-action group on the same field, and rotate with herbicides from a different group as part of an integrated weed-management programme to slow resistance development.
• Off-target drift or vapour can cause white bleaching on nearby sensitive plants such as vegetables, orchards and ornamentals — keep a buffer from neighbouring sensitive crops and do not spray near them in wind.
• Slight, temporary whitening of some crop leaves can occasionally appear after application; follow the label dose strictly and avoid overlaps to minimise this.
• Respect the waiting period (PHI) before harvest: 90 days in soybean and transplanted rice, and 296 days in sugarcane.
• Do not let spray drift, runoff or washings reach ponds, canals, streams or drinking-water sources.
• Store in the original, tightly closed container in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight, food and feed, and out of reach of children and livestock.
• Wash hands, face and any exposed skin thoroughly with soap and water after handling or spraying, and change out of contaminated clothing before eating, drinking or smoking.

Brand names mentioned on this page are registered trademarks of their respective owners and are referenced here for identification purposes only; FarmMate is not affiliated with or endorsed by these brands. This page is for general information only — always consult your local agricultural extension office and confirm the current product label before use.