Diquat is a non-selective contact herbicide; the major use of which is for pre-harvest desiccation of a variety of crops. It is rapidly absorbed by green plant tissue and interacts with the photosynthetic process to produce compounds that destroy plant cells. It is inactivated on contact with soil and not taken up by plant roots. As a general herbicide diquat is used to control weeds before planting, before or just after crop emergence, and as a directed spray between the rows of established crops.
