ABSTRACT

The potential of organosilicone surfactants as adjuvants for herbicides was reported as early as 1973. During the mid-1970s, the advantages of incorporating Silwet L-77 into sprays to alleviate iron chlorosis in citrus were reported from Israel. No further reports appeared until the mid-1980s. Since then, more than 70 papers, mostly originating in New Zealand, have reported the properties of Silwet surfactants and their utility as spray adjuvants. Silwet L-77 is now widely used as a spray adjuvant in New Zealand, with increasing use in Australia and Southeast Asia. It is also being introduced in the US and elsewhere. The literature on organosilicone surfactants relates predominantly to herbicides, largely reflecting the commercial development of Silwet L-77 to assist scrubweed control in New Zealand forestry. However, this surfactant has also been used effectively with growth regulators, foliar nutrients, and an insecticide.