What type of herbicide is applied after the crop is seeded but before the plants have started to grow?

The correct answer is pre-emergence herbicide. This type of herbicide is specifically designed to be applied to the soil after the crop has been seeded but before germination occurs. The primary function of pre-emergence herbicides is to inhibit the growth of weed seeds that are present in the soil, preventing them from emerging alongside the crop.

By targeting the early development stages of weeds, these herbicides help establish a cleaner environment for the crop to grow without competition from unwanted plants. This is crucial for maximizing crop yield and ensuring that the desired plants have adequate resources such as light, nutrients, and water to thrive without being overshadowed or stunted by the presence of weeds.

Understanding the timing and application of pre-emergence herbicides is essential for effective weed management in agricultural practices. Other types of herbicides, such as post-emergence, are applied after the crops have begun to grow and are intended to target existing weeds, while non-selective herbicides can kill all plants in the area where applied, and systemic herbicides are absorbed and spread throughout the plant, making them useful for controlling specific types of weeds.