Desiccation is carried out by spraying. For this, aqueous solutions or water-soluble concentrates are used. They affect the metabolism and photosynthesis of plant crops.
Desiccant treatment is usually done to prepare the crop for harvest. Solutions are most effective for processing cotton. They simplify the process of opening the box. It opens within 2 weeks after spraying. This allows harvesting to be completed before the first frost.
Desiccation is aimed at accelerating natural physiological processes. The solutions have a contact effect and do not penetrate into plant tissues. They do not adversely affect the quality of the crop. With the onset of autumn, the plant’s metabolism slows down. Desiccants allow you to speed it up. In addition to cotton, the following are subjected to desiccation:
- sunflower;
- rice;
- sugar beet;
- castor oil plant;
- rape;
- cereals.
Desiccant treatment accelerates the ripening of seeds and fruits. The level of moisture contained in plants decreases. This makes cleaning easier and reduces drying costs. The rate of seed loss is reduced. Cultures treated with the solution are not susceptible to disease. Chemicals are resistant to environmental conditions and cannot be washed off by rain.
These chemical solutions are used not only to speed up the ripening process, but also to protect the plants. They inhibit the growth of weeds. The activity of drugs depends on the active ingredients that make up them. The efficiency of solutions containing several active ingredients is the highest. Depending on the effect on the plant, solutions are:
- contact ones act on the surface of the plant without penetrating into its tissues;
- systemic penetrate into the vascular system of the weed. Both the aboveground part and the root die.
With the help of herbicides, it is possible to destroy both weeds exclusively and weeds along with cultivated vegetation. The direction of action depends on the type of solutions used. They can be selective or solid. The preparations can be used both before and after the germination of seedlings. They can enter the plant through roots or foliage.
Chemical preparations shorten the ripening period of the plant and make it uniform. The quality of the seeds increases. Their moisture content decreases, but the oil content remains. Weeds also dry up together with the cultivated plants.