Performance of Post-Emergence Herbicides for Weed Control and Soybean Yield in Thailand

Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) is an essential legume crop in Thailand, valued for its high protein content and economic significance. However, weed competition can reduce yields by up to 82% if not managed effectively. This study evaluates the efficacy of post-emergence herbicides for weed control and their impact on soybean yield. A field experiment was conducted during the 2023 rainy and 2024/2025 dry seasons at Khon Kaen University using a split-plot design with four replications. Weed management treatments included hand weeding, an untreated control, and three herbicides, fluazifop-P-butyl + fomesafen, clethodim + fomesafen, and quizalofop-P-tefuryl + fomesafen, applied to two soybean varieties (Morkhor60 and CM60). Quizalofop-P-tefuryl + fomesafen was found to be the most effective herbicide, achieving 87.66% weed control efficiency (WCE) in the dry season and 72.43% in the rainy season. Hand weeding produced the highest yield (1324.00 kg ha⁻¹), followed by quizalofop-P-tefuryl + fomesafen (1148.90 kg ha⁻¹). Morkhor60 outperformed CM60 in yield and growth performance. These findings highlight the importance of selecting suitable herbicide treatments to optimize weed control and enhance soybean productivity under different seasonal conditions.