Diuron 80% WP Herbicide Uses

Diuron 80% WP is a substituted-urea (phenylurea) herbicide registered for use in India under the Insecticides Act, 1968, formulated as a wettable powder (WP). It is registered for control of annual grassy and broadleaf weeds in cotton, banana, rubber, maize, citrus (sweet orange), sugarcane and grapes, and acts mainly through the soil on germinating weed seedlings. 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

Diuron belongs to the phenylurea (substituted urea) family of herbicides (HRAC Group 5, formerly Group C2) and works as a photosystem II (PS-II) inhibitor. It is taken up mainly through the roots of germinating and young weed seedlings and moves upward with the plant's water flow into the leaves, where it blocks electron transport at photosystem II in the chloroplasts — a step essential to photosynthesis. This stops the seedling from producing energy and causes a build-up of reactive molecules that damage cell membranes, so treated weeds show yellowing (chlorosis) starting from the leaf tips and margins, followed by browning and death. Diuron has low water solubility and stays mainly in the upper soil layer, where it acts on weed seeds as they germinate; it is therefore used mainly as a soil-applied, pre-emergence or early-stage treatment rather than against large, established weeds.

Features & Benefits

• Controls a broad range of annual grassy and broadleaf weeds, including Chenopodium (bathua), Amaranthus (chaulai), Portulaca (kulfa), Digitaria and Cyperus iria (motha) across the registered crops.
• Registered across a wide range of field, plantation and orchard crops — cotton, maize, sugarcane, banana, rubber, citrus (sweet orange) and grapes.
• Soil-residual action gives early-season weed control while the crop establishes.
• PS-II inhibitor mode of action (Group 5) differs from ALS (Group 2), ACCase (Group 1) and glyphosate-type (Group 9) herbicides, making it useful in a rotation programme.

Recommended Usage of Diuron 80% WP 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): Cotton — 0.75–1.5 kg a.i./ha, 1–2.2 kg formulation/ha, 625 L water/ha; Banana — 1.60 kg a.i./ha, 2 kg formulation/ha, 625 L water/ha; Rubber — 1.6–3.2 kg a.i./ha, 2–4 kg formulation/ha, 625 L water/ha; Maize — 0.8 kg a.i./ha, 600 L water/ha; Citrus (sweet orange) — 2–4.0 kg a.i./ha, 2.5–5.0 kg formulation/ha, 600 L water/ha; Sugarcane — 1.6–3.2 kg a.i./ha, 2.0–4.0 kg formulation/ha, 600 L water/ha; Grapes — 1.6 kg a.i./ha, 2.0 kg formulation/ha, 625 L water/ha. CIB does not specify a waiting period (PHI) for any of these crops, and no figure has been assumed. *Maize: the formulation-dose figure for maize is not legible in the CIB&RC list, so only CIB's active-ingredient rate (0.8 kg a.i. per hectare) is shown and no product quantity has been derived — confirm the product dose for maize on the current 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. Since this is a wettable powder, first mix the measured dose into a small quantity of water to make a smooth, lump-free paste, then add it to the spray tank and top up to the full volume while stirring continuously so it disperses evenly.
3. Spray uniformly onto a well-prepared, moist soil surface at the timing given on the product label for your crop — diuron acts mainly on germinating weed seedlings, so it works best when applied before or just as weeds emerge.
4. In plantation and orchard crops (banana, rubber, citrus, grapes), direct the spray onto the soil and weeds between and around the plants, using a hooded or shielded nozzle, and keep the spray off the crop's leaves and green stems.
5. Use a knapsack or power sprayer fitted with a flat-fan or flood-jet nozzle for even ground coverage, and avoid overlapping spray passes, which raise the dose and can cause crop injury.
6. Spray in calm weather, avoiding windy conditions and rain expected within a few hours, to reduce drift and wash-off.

Precautions & Safety

• Wear appropriate PPE — mask/respirator, gloves, goggles and full-sleeved clothing — while mixing and spraying, and avoid inhaling the wettable powder dust while opening the pack.
• Diuron belongs to herbicide Group 5 (PS-II 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.
• Diuron persists in soil — do not exceed the recommended dose, take extra care on light, sandy soils low in organic matter, and check the label for rotational-crop restrictions before sowing a sensitive crop in a treated field.
• CIB does not specify a waiting period (PHI) for any registered crop — follow the current product label and local agricultural extension advice on the appropriate interval before harvest.
• 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.