What Is the Difference Between Glyphosate and Glufosinate? Understand the Comparison in One Article

Glyphosate and glufosinate are both herbicides. Although their names differ by only one character, they are fundamentally different, and many people confuse them. Here we explain the differences between glyphosate and glufosinate.

1. Glyphosate is an amino acid type that inhibits enolpyruvylshikimate phosphate synthase, interfering with protein synthesis. It is systemic and translocates within the plant, mainly killing roots; glufosinate is a phosphinic acid type that accumulates ammonium and acts by contact, inhibiting glutamine synthesis. It is primarily contact-acting with weak systemic activity, killing leaves first and translocating within leaves.

2. Glyphosate is widely used in rubber, mulberry, tea, orchards and sugarcane fields (generally not used on shallow-rooted crops or crops with exposed roots, such as vegetables, coriander, pepper, grapes, papaya, corn, etc.). It generally takes 7-9 days to show effect and about 15 days to kill weeds; glufosinate can be used on all crops but must not be sprayed onto the crops. It generally takes 3-5 days to show effect and 7-10 days to kill weeds.

3. Glyphosate has poor efficacy against resistant weeds such as goosegrass and horseweed, and resistant weeds increase year by year; glufosinate has good control efficacy against resistant weeds such as goosegrass and horseweed, but poorer control efficacy against Cyperaceae weeds in some areas.

4. Glyphosate easily leads to a deficiency of trace elements in the soil, causing nutrient deficiency symptoms in crops, and improper use can easily cause drift phytotoxicity, affecting crop growth; glufosinate has relatively few side effects and does no harm to the soil. Drift of the spray solution only produces spots at the contact site and has little effect on crop growth and yield.