Used as a pre-emergence herbicide primarily in rice cultivation to control annual grasses and certain broadleaf weeds. It is effective when applied to flooded rice fields before weed seeds germinate. Thiobencarb works by inhibiting lipid synthesis in susceptible plants, thereby preventing root and shoot development of target weeds. Due to its soil adsorption properties, it remains active in the surface layer where weed seeds are present. Commonly used in paddy rice systems, it helps improve crop yield by reducing early competition from weeds. It is often part of integrated weed management programs, sometimes combined with other herbicides to broaden the spectrum of control.