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Center For Aquatic And Invasive Plants

Center For Aquatic And Invasive Plants

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 Amine Endothall

Target PlantScientific NameUse PatternCompatible Herbicides
Crested floating heart Nymphoides cristata Occasional – most frequent use of amine endothall in FWC Program Alone or in combination with potassium endothall
Hydrilla Hydrilla verticillata Occasional – Spot applications Potassium endothall

Table B: Water Uses and Functions

Water Use ParametersManagement Considerations
Downstream Uses and Needs
  • Do not apply within 600 feet of functioning potable water intake
  • No irrigation restrictions listed for either formulation
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
  • Highly toxic – blue gill, rainbow trout, channel catfish, daphnia EC50 > 0.36 ppm
  • Fish may be killed by doses in excess of 0.3 ppm
    • Use as small-scale or spot applications
    • Allow fish space to escape/avoid application site
Non-game wildlife
  • No issues related to this tool
Endangered species
  • No issues related to this tool at operational rates (0.05 – 0.3 ppm) and strategies
Waterfowl
  • Non-toxic to waterfowl – mallard duck LD50 > 5,000 ppm
Flood Control
  • No issues related to this tool
Navigation and Access
  • No issues related to this tool
Irrigation
  • No irrigation restrictions
Livestock Consumption
  • No issues related to this tool for applications in Florida public waters
Potable Water
  • Apply 600 feet or greater from a functioning potable water intake
  • Coordinate applications with water facility operator
  • Public consumption of water only when the MCL is below 0.1 ppm
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
  • Applied at 0.05 – 0.3 ppm, often in combination with potassium endothall
    • Submersed or foliar applications for crested floating heart and hydrilla control
Breakdown / Inactivation
  • Half-life in water about one week or less
Microbial
  • Microbial metabolism is primary degradation pathway
Adsorption
  • Does not adsorb to suspended solids or sediments
Photolysis
  • Does not degrade by photolysis
Hydrolysis
  • Not sensitive to hydrolysis
Dissipation
  • Breaks down fairly rapidly in water so dissipation is minimal
Formulation  
Liquid
  • Available in liquid formulation
Solid
  • Available in granular formulation
Mechanism of Action
  • Unclassified in WSSA Resistance Grouping
    • Protein phosphatase inhibitor
Mode of Action  
Systemic
  • Absorbed by foliage or underwater tissues
  • Interferes with protein and lipid synthesis
    • Disrupts cell membrane and respiration – cell membranes become leaky
    • Cell contents spill out – cannot make energy and die
  • Somewhat mobile in plant tissues
  • Long thought to be contact-type herbicide
    • Fast acting
Plant Growth Regulator
  • Not used as a plant growth regulator in Florida aquatic plant control applications
Stewardship  
Herbicide resistance
  • Not yet classified in WSSA Resistance Grouping
  • No tolerance or resistance issues reported in Florida
    • Used occasionally with potassium endothall as a resistance management strategy
Waterbody ParametersManagement Considerations
Hydrology  
Water depth
  • Used as submersed applications to control crested floating heart
    • Occasionally used for hydrilla or hygrophila control
  • Important to know water depth to calculate appropriate dose
Water volume
  • Used for crested floating heart control in small areas
    • Alone or in combination with potassium endothall
    • Volume of treated area is essential to calculate appropriate dose
Water movement
  • Need 12-24 hours of exposure for crested floating heart or hydrilla control
Water chemistry  
Dissolved oxygen (DO)
  • Generally, no issues related to this parameter
    • Control areas are typically small
    • Small amount of plant biomass controlled
pH, alkalinity, hardness
  • No issues related to this tool
Nutrient content
  • No issues related to this tool
    • Primarily used for small-scale crested floating heart control
Water transparency
  • Need actively growing plants for herbicide uptake
Sediment characteristics  
Composition
  • Sand / clay – no issues related to this tool
  • Organic – no issues related to this tool
Potential for re-suspension
  • Does not adsorb to suspended material
Plant Physiology ParametersManagement Considerations
Plant origin / growth potential  
Native
  • Amine endothall is an algaecide
    • Infrequently permitted or used by FWC for this purpose in Florida waters
    • Little to no use with this compound for non-native vascular plant management
Non-native
  • Little to no use with this compound for non-native plant management
Invasive

  • Crested floating heart
    • Use alone or at low rates in conjunction with potassium endothall
    • Primary control method for crested floating heart
    • Follow-up applications may be necessary to control skips
      • Alone at 2 qt/acre-foot as subsurface injection
        • Apply to actively growing plants late summer (July – August)
      • Combination at 0.3 ppm with potassium endothall at 3.0 ppm
        • Apply late spring through summer
  • Hydrilla
    • Spot control new hydrilla infestations with granular formulation
      • Boat ramp / isolated spots in canals
Plant growth stage (target/non-target)
  • Need actively growing plants for herbicide uptake
Plant susceptibility (target/non-target)
  • Apply to actively growing target plants
    • May control vallisneria when used at higher rates with granular formulation
Potential for regrowth (target/non-target)
  • Hydrilla regrowth depends on extent of control, water clarity and depth
    • Regrowth is slower if root crowns are killed – limited to tuber / turion sprouting
    • Southern naiad and Illinois pondweed are controlled by endothall
      • Usually recover during the same or next growing season
Climate ParametersManagement Considerations
Weather Daily

  • Need at least 12-24 hours of contact exposure
  • Dependent on dose and water temperature
  • Windy conditions may increase dissipation in spot or band applications

Seasonally

  • Less herbicide may be required in cooler months
    • Microbial breakdown is slower so herbicide active for longer period
  • Applying to actively growing plants increases uptake
Light intensity
  • No issues related to this tool – not broken down by photolysis
Water temperature
  • Endothall degradation can occur more rapidly in warmer water (> 80°F)
    • Could result in reduced efficacy

Table D: Other Parameters

ParameterManagement Considerations
Cost
  • No generics or equivalent modes of action available
Anticipated Control Amount  
Spatial
  • Area of control is generally confined to the area to which amine endothall is directly applied
  • Minimal dissipation and control may result outside of application zone
Duration
  • Control duration depends on dose, extent of contact, water clarity, and depth
  • If root crowns are killed, then regrowth is slower
    • Regrowth is from tubers / turions (hydrilla) or fragments / ramets (crested floating heart)
Time to Achieve Control
  • Symptoms in 5-7 days and control in 1-3 weeks
Contractor/Equipment
  • Usually applied via boat-mounted drop hoses as a tank mix with potassium endothall
  • Aerial applications are not conducted in Florida with this compound for aquatic plant control
  • Granular formulation applied with blower or spreader
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