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Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants Logo    Plant Management in Florida Waters

Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants Logo    Plant Management in Florida Waters

NDPES Logo

*Important: See Reference Guide Beforehand

No single herbicide is appropriate for controlling all invasive aquatic plants (or nuisance growths of native aquatic plants), in all situations. A herbicide may perform differently depending on the waterbody, its use, the time of year—or even the time of day. Therefore, aquatic plant managers must have a thorough understanding of how each herbicide acts in Florida aquatic systems. The following parameters are evaluated when considering this herbicide to manage aquatic plants in a specific waterbody. Each parameter is linked to an explanation and examples are provided to demonstrate their relevance to developing comprehensive aquatic plant management strategies.


Table A: Herbicide Use Patterns for Carfentrazone

Target PlantScientific NameUse PatternCompatible Herbicides
Uruguayan primrose willow complex Ludwigia grandiflora/hexapetala Occasional Combined with imazamox

Table B: Water Uses and Functions

Water Use ParametersManagement Considerations
Downstream Uses and Needs
  • Do not apply within ¼ mile upstream of functioning potable intake in rivers
Fish and Wildlife Mgmt.  
Vegetation planting
  • No issues related to this tool
Forage and prey
  • No issues related to this tool – potential for bioaccumulation is low
Fisheries
  • Moderately toxic to fish
    • 96-hour LC50 = 1.6 mg/L in rainbow trout and 2.0 mg/L in bluegill sunfish
  • Daphnia magna 48-hour LC50 > 10 mg/L
Non-game wildlife
  • No issues related to this tool
Endangered species
  • No issues related to this tool at operational rates (~4.0 oz/ac) and strategies
Waterfowl
  • Non-toxic to waterfowl
    • Mallard duck and bobwhite quail oral LD50 > 2,250 mg/kg
Flood Control
  • No issues related to this tool
Navigation and Access
  • No issues related to this tool
Irrigation
  • Do not use treated water for 1 day after application to < 20% of waterbody
  • Do not use treated water for 14 days after application to > 20% of waterbody
Livestock Consumption
  • Do not use water for livestock consumption for I day after applying to 20-50% of waterbody
Potable Water
  • Do not apply within 1/4 mile of functioning potable water intake in lakes
  • Do not apply within 1/4 mile upstream of functioning potable intake in rivers
Recreation  
Boating
  • No issues related to this tool
Fishing
  • No fish consumption restriction – does not bioaccumulate in fish
Hunting
  • No issues related to this tool
Swimming
  • No swimming restriction

Table C: Herbicide, Waterbody, Plant, and Climate Parameters

Herbicide ParametersManagement Considerations
Herbicide Rate
  • Apply at 4.0 oz/ac with 32 oz/ac imazamox to control Ludwigia grandiflora/hexapetala
Breakdown / Inactivation
  • Short half-life in water depending on season and water depth – see hydrolysis
Microbial
  • Microbial metabolism is primary degradation pathway in soil – half-life < 1.5 days
Adsorption
  • Does not bind in sediments or adsorb to soil particles
Photolysis
  • Susceptible to photolytic degradation
Hydrolysis
  • Primary degradation pathway in water
  • Half-life of 3-5 days in water
Dissipation
  • Minimal with the very short half-life and use pattern of foliar applications
Formulation  
Liquid
  • Available as a liquid formulation which is emusifiable in water
Solid
  • Not available in solid formulations
Mechanism of Action
  • Classified in WSSA Resistance Grouping #14
    • Protoporphyrinogen Oxidase (PPO) enzyme inhibitor
Mode of Action  
Contact
  • Inhibits protoporphyrinogen oxidase enzyme important in chlorophyll synthesis
  • Absorbed through the leaves – does not move in the plant
  • Causes formation of a light-absorbing chlorophyll precursor outside of the chloroplast
    • This compound absorbs energy from sunlight, but cannot pass through the Z-scheme
    • Energy is passed on to oxygen, creating radical oxygen and cell membrane disruption
Plant Growth Regulator
  • Not used as a plant growth regulator in Florida aquatic plant control applications
Stewardship  
Herbicide resistance
  • No tolerance or resistance issues reported in Florida
  • Resistance has been reported for PPO inhibitors in terrestrial applications
    • Rotate or combine with other active ingredient where appropriate
Waterbody ParametersManagement Considerations
Hydrology  
Water depth
  • Not an issue with FL use pattern – foliar applications to emergent plants
Water volume
  • Not an issue with FL use pattern – foliar applications to emergent plants
Water movement
  • Not an issue with FL use pattern – foliar applications to emergent plants
Water chemistry  
Dissolved oxygen (DO)
  • Not an issue with FL use pattern – foliar applications to small areas of emergent plants
pH, alkalinity, hardness
  • Not an issue with FL use pattern – foliar applications to emergent plants
  • Does not bind with organic or clay particles in tank mix
Nutrient content
  • Not an issue with FL use pattern – small-scale emergent plant management
Water transparency
  • Not an issue with FL use pattern – foliar applications to emergent plants
Sediment characteristics  
Composition
  • Sand / Clay – no issues related to this tool
  • Organic – no issues related to this tool
Potential for re-suspension
  • No issues related to this tool
  • Does not adsorb to suspended material in water body or in tank mix water
Plant Physiology ParametersManagement Considerations
Plant origin / growth potential  
Native
  • Not used to target native plants in FWC Programs
Non-native
  • Not used to target non-native plants in FWC Programs
Invasive

  • Ludwigia grandiflora/hexapetala
    • Applied directly to leaves at 4.0 oz/ac + 32 oz/ac imazamox
    • Not confirmed if carfentrazone adds long-term efficacy above imazamox alone
    • May provide faster control
      • Rapid shoot burndown may reduce translocation, reducing long-term control
    • Addition of carfentrazone may reduce selectivity somewhat to comingled plants
Plant growth stage (target/non-target)
  • Need actively growing plants for herbicide uptake
  • L. grandiflora/hexapetala has high submersed rhizome vs above water leaf / shoot mass
    • Early spring foliar applications may be ineffective – not enough above-water mass
    • Floating / submersed leaves not effectively controlled with foliar treatment
    • Follow-up applications may be necessary for late summer, dense, woody growth
Plant susceptibility (target/non-target)
  • Does not control adjacent knotgrass, torpedograss, pickerelweed, turfgrass
Potential for regrowth (target/non-target)
  • Injury to comingled non-target plants is usual minimal with eventual regrowth
Climate ParametersManagement Considerations
Weather Daily

  • Needs 1-2 hours of contact for good herbicidal activity

Seasonally

  • Need actively growing target plants for herbicide uptake
Light intensity
  • Not an issue with FL use pattern – foliar applications to emergent plants
Water temperature
  • Not an issue with FL use pattern – foliar applications to emergent plants

Table D: Other Parameters

ParameterManagement Considerations
Cost
  • No generics available
  • Similar chemistry available with flumioxazin
  • Generally more expensive than 2,4-D or diquat
Anticipated Control Amount
Spatial
  • Control is confined to the area to which carfentrazone is directly applied to target plants
Duration
  • Efficacy improves when applying to actively growing plants with high emergent leaf/shoot biomass
Time to Achieve Control
  • Symptoms in 2-5 days – control in 3-4 weeks
Contractor/Equipment
  • Foliar applications by backpack, airboat for small-scale applications to Ludwigia spp.
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