Efficacy Comparison of Acetic Acid and d-Limonene Combinations for Control of Amaranthus spinosus and Amaranthus albus

According to the Environmental Protection Agency’s most recent market estimates, global pesticide usage approximates 5.2 billion pounds with herbicides ranking as the most widely used type of pesticide [1]. This indicates a significant need for innovation as chemical herbicides contaminate the soil, air, and water systems that support human, animal, and plant life, generating numerable consequences. For example, the World Health Organization recently classified glyphosate, a common herbicide currently in use in Georgia Tech’s landscape maintenance plan, as “probably carcinogenic to humans” [2]. Research also links glyphosate to autism, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis [3], obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other health issues [4]. Natural herbicide solutions have generated increasing public interest as they offer a solution to weed control without incurring health and environmental costs and qualify for use in organic agricultural production systems [5]. As these solutions fulfill the same role as glyphosate of providing nonselective postemergent weed control (weed control targeting any already growing plant), the primary obstacle to their widespread adoption for both agricultural and aesthetic use is cost inhibitions. Because of this, research on how to best combine organically registered herbicidal ingredients to provide the greatest control with the least financial input is of critical importance.