Herbicide Inputs for a New Agronomic Crop, Annual Wormwood (Artemisia annua)

• Published in: Weed technology 1991-01, Vol.5 (1), p.117-124
• Main Authors: Bryson, Charles T., Edward M. Croom, Jr
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Annuals; Antimalarials; Artemisinins; Biological and medical sciences; Chemical control; Crop harvesting; Crop production; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Herbicides; Parasitic plants. Weeds; Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection; Phytotrons; Plants; Production technology; Weed control; Weeds
• ISSN: 0890-037X; 1550-2740
• DOI: 10.1017/S0890037X00033376

Annual wormwood has been cultivated on a small scale for production of the artemisinin class of antimalarial drugs in sufficient quantities for preclinical and clinical trials. Large scale cultivation will require a reliable, efficient crop production system. Production systems using 32 herbicides alone or in combinations were evaluated in growth chamber, greenhouse, and field experiments at Stoneville, MS from 1985 through 1988. The herbicide treatments that provided the best weed control were (A) metolachlor at 2.2 kg ai ha-1preemergence (PRE), (B) chloramben at 2.2 kg ai ha-1(PRE), or (C) trifluralin at 0.6 kg ai ha-1preplant soil incorporated (PPI) followed by fluazifop at 0.2 + 0.2 kg ai ha-1postemergence broadcast (POST) and acifluorfen at 0.6 kg ai ha-1(POST). These herbicide production systems provided excellent weed control (≥85%) and minimal crop injury (≤10%) with no effect on crop height or weight at harvest. Production of artemisinin was not reduced by herbicide treatments A, B, and C in 1987 and treatments B and C in 1988 when compared with the hand-weeded plots.