Weed Control and Slow-Release Behavior of 2-Methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetate Intercalated Layered Double Hydroxide

The efficient utilization of pesticides is an essential factor affecting crop yield. Thus, the controllable slow-release of pesticides using nanomaterials has attracted considerable attention. In this work, pesticides 2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetate (MCPA) intercalated layered double hydroxides (MCPA/LDH) were successfully prepared using the coprecipitation method and characterized via FTIR, XRD, and SEM. The release behavior of MCPA/LDH was studied and analyzed under different anion, pH, and organic matter conditions. For practical applications, four types of soil from different regions were selected, and the release effect of MCPA/LDH was tested 60 days. The release behavior was fitted to the Higuchi kinetic model, in which the release mechanism was determined to be the ion exchange effect. In a pot experiment, the weed control effect of MCPA/LDH exhibited improved and long-term results than that of the control groups. Hence, this study provides an effective strategy for the efficient utilization of MCPA demonstrating its potential applications in agricultural production.