Fabiano Aparecido Rios

Selectivity of Herbicide Alternatives for Two Cassava Cultivars

It is important to evaluate the tolerance of cassava varieties under new weed chemical control alternatives. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the selectivity of herbicides, applied at pre-emergence, for two important cassava varieties grown in the state of Parana, Brazil. The herbicides and respective doses (g a.i. ha-1) were: diuron (400 and 800), metribuzin (360 and 720), isoxaflutole (60), atrazine (720), S-metolachlor (1,920) and mixtures ametryn+clomazone (1,350+1,900), ametryn + trifluralin (1,500+1,350), isoxaflutole + metribuzin (60+320), isoxaflutole + diuron (60+400), combined with the use of a dual checkl adjacent to each treatment. The cultivars used were Fecula Branca and Fibra. Only herbicide S-metolachlor applied on both cultivars and metribuzin (360 g a.e. ha-1) applied on Fibra did not cause any injury. Atrazine reduced plant density only for Fecula Branca at 60 DAS (days after seeding) but no difference in plant height was detected. Atrazine reduced plant density for cultivar Fecula Branca at 60 DAS, but no plant height reduction was detected. Both atrazine (for both cultivars) and diuron at a dose of 800 g a.i. ha-1 (for Fecula Branca) affected root productivity. Thus, atrazine was considered non-selective for both cultivars and the highest diuron dose was also considered non-selective for the cultivar Fecula branca. Differences in tolerance were verified among the cultivars used in this experiment, with Fibra in general being more tolerant to the herbicides evaluated.

Residual activity of herbicides applied to the soil in relation to control of four Amaranthus Species

Herbicides applied at pre-emergence normally present residual activity in the soil, controlling the first weed germinations, and preventing initial weed competition. The aim of this study was to determine the period of residual activity provided by sufficient herbicide rates for 95% (C95) control of the species Amaranthus hybridus, A. lividus, A. spinosus and A. viridis, and to assess the recommended rates of these herbicides. The study was conducted under greenhouse conditions in soils of sandy clay loam texture (20% clay and 1.9 of organic matter, with rates of alachlor, diuron, oxyfluorfen, pendimethalin, prometryne, oxyfluorfen, S-metolachlor, trifluralin 450 and trifluralin 600 being applied at 30, 20, 10 and 0 days before weed sowing. Weed control was evaluated after herbicide permanence in soil for 0, 10, 20 and 30 days after application (DAA). The residual activity of alachlor and prometryne at a rate C95 was not sufficient for the efficient control (>80%) of the species for up to 30 DAA. For alachlor, the use of the recommended rate did not provide considerable increase in residual activity, except for A. viridis. The recommended rate of prometryn promoted efficient control of the species for up to 30 DAA, except for A. hybridus. The recommended rate of oxyfluorfen provided an efficient control of A. hybridus and A. spinosus up to 30 DAA. These species had not been effectively controlled by the rate C95. Trifluralin 450 promoted efficient residual control for up to 30 DAA only compared with A. hybridus. Trifluralin 600 was effective in controlling A. hybridus and A. viridis up to 30 DAA and 29 and 28 DAA for A. lividus and A. spinosus, respectively. Clomazone did not promote efficient control of the species for 30 DAA, except for A. viridis. Diuron, pendimethalin and S-metolachlor were effective in controlling the species for up to 30 DAA, at both rates, showing consistent residual activity for the soil studied.

Grass straw mulching to suppress emergence and early growth of weeds

Sorghum, pearl millet, and Brachiaria ruziziensis have similar characteristics which have led to their use for mulch formation in no-till systems. This study was carried out to evaluate the potential of these three species as straw suppliers to suppress weed emergence. Initial findings led to the conclusion that both pearl millet and Brachiaria ruziziensis have similar or superior potential as weed suppressors, compared to sorghum straw, a species with recognized allelopathic potential. Subsequently, new trials were conducted under greenhouse conditions by sowing weed species in pots, followed by covering of the soil with the straw under evaluation. Independent experiments were conducted for Euphorbia heterophylla and Bidens pilosa. In each experiment, the factors analyzed were type of straw (pearl millet and B. ruziziensis), amount of straw (equivalent to 4 and 8 t ha-1 dry mass) and irrigation method (surface and subsurface). Both pearl millet and B. ruziziensis have shown to be species that can be cultivated to produce straw with allelopathic potential. These effects were effective in suppressing the emergence or early growth of E. heterophylla and B. pilosa. There was no difference in the suppression of emergence of these species when the soil cover level was alternated between 4 and 8 t ha-1 dry mass.

Dose-response curve to soil applied herbicides and susceptibility evaluation of different amaranthus species using model identity

Greenhouse studies were conducted in 2008-2009 with the objective of adjusting dose-response curves of the main soil-applied herbicides currently used in cotton for the control of Amaranthus viridis, A. hybridus, A. spinosus, A. lividus, as well as comparing susceptibility among different species, using the identity test models. Thirty six individual experiments were simultaneously carried out in greenhouse, in a sandy clay loam soil (21% clay, 2.36% OM) combining increasing doses of the herbicides alachlor, clomazone, diuron, oxyfluorfen, pendimethalin, prometryn, S-metolachlor, and trifluralin applied to each species. Dose-response curves were adjusted for visual weed control at 28 days after herbicide application and doses required for 80% (C80) and 95% (C95) control were calculated. All herbicides, except clomazone and trifluralin, provided efficient control of most Amaranthus species, but substantial differences in susceptibility to herbicides were found. In general, A. lividus was the least sensitive species, whereas A. spinosus demonstrated the highest sensitivity to herbicides. Alachlor, diuron, oxyfluorfen, pendimethalin, S-metolachlor, and prometryn are efficient alternatives to control Amaranthus spp. in a range of doses that are currently lower than those recommended to cotton.