Pinoxaden 5.1% EC Herbicide Uses

Pinoxaden 5.1% EC is a selective, systemic, post-emergence herbicide from the phenylpyrazoline (DEN) chemical group, registered for use in India under the Insecticides Act, 1968. It is formulated with a safener that allows it to be sprayed directly over standing wheat to control grassy weeds without harming the crop. This page lists its mode of action, key benefits and the recommended dosage for wheat as per CIB-registered labels.

Which Weeds Does This Control? (Field Identification Guide)

Not sure whether the grass coming up in your wheat field is one this herbicide is meant to control? This guide helps you identify the two grass weeds it targets so you can confirm before spraying.

Mode of Action

Pinoxaden belongs to the phenylpyrazoline (DEN) group of herbicides and works by inhibiting acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACCase), an enzyme grass weeds need to synthesise fatty acids for building new cell membranes. It is systemic, absorbed rapidly through the leaves of actively growing grass weeds and translocated to the shoot and root growing points (meristems), where it halts lipid synthesis and cell division, causing the meristem to die. Growth stops within a few days and treated weeds show reddening/purpling followed by yellowing before collapsing over one to three weeks. The formulation includes a safener (cloquintocet-mexyl) that allows wheat to rapidly break down the herbicide, giving the crop selective tolerance while grass weeds are controlled.

Features & Benefits

• Post-emergence, foliar-acting control that can be sprayed directly over standing wheat without crop injury when used at the labelled dose and stage.
• Effective against key grass weeds of wheat, including Phalaris minor and Avena ludoviciana, including populations resistant to some older herbicide groups.
• Rainfast within a few hours of application under normal conditions, reducing the risk of a wasted spray from unexpected light rain.
• Grass-selective mode of action means it does not control broadleaf weeds, so it is often paired with a broadleaf partner where both weed types are present — check the current label for approved combinations.

Recommended Usage of Pinoxaden 5.1% EC Herbicide

The table below gives the CIB-registered dose, water volume, timing and waiting period per acre for wheat, based on the official CIB-registered per-hectare rate — see the note below the table for the conversion details. Always confirm against the current product label before use.

Doses above are converted from the CIB-registered per-hectare rate (40–45 g a.i./ha; 800–900 ml formulation/ha; 225–300 litres water/ha) for Pinoxaden 5.1% EC in wheat. Always confirm the current pack label/CIB registration and consult your local agricultural extension office before use and before harvest.

How to Use

1. Spray between 30–35 days after sowing, when the crop and weeds are actively growing and the weeds are still small — later application on larger, tillered weeds reduces control.
2. Mix the required quantity of Pinoxaden 5.1% EC into the spray tank with the correct water volume, agitating well since it is an emulsifiable concentrate.
3. Spray using a knapsack or power sprayer fitted with a flat-fan nozzle, ensuring uniform coverage of the crop canopy so the spray reaches weed foliage below.
4. Avoid spraying if rain is expected within a few hours, and avoid tank-mixing with other products unless specifically approved on the current label, since some combinations can reduce grass-weed control or affect crop safety.
5. Do not graze or feed treated wheat straw/fodder to livestock before the labelled waiting period has passed.

Precautions & Safety

• Wear appropriate PPE — mask, gloves, goggles and full-sleeved clothing — while mixing and spraying.
• Apply only at the correct crop stage (30–35 days after sowing) and dose given above; spraying wheat that is under stress (waterlogging, drought, frost) can increase the risk of crop injury.
• Store in the original, tightly closed container in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight, food, feed and out of reach of children and livestock.
• Respect the 90-day waiting period (PHI) before harvest and follow your local agricultural extension advice for the latest guidance.
• Pinoxaden is an ACCase-inhibitor (Group 1) herbicide; avoid repeated, back-to-back use of the same mode of action on the same field across seasons, and rotate herbicide groups as part of a resistance-management program, since Phalaris minor populations resistant to this group have been reported in parts of India.
• 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.