Revista Brasileira De Herbicidas 2020; 19(1): 1-8

ISSUE Cover

PRE-EMERGENT HERBICIDE APPLICATION PERFORMED AFTER CROP SOWING FAVORS PIGWEED (AMARANTHUS SPP.) AND WHITE-EYE (RICHARDIA BRASILIENSIS) CONTROL IN SOYBEANS

DOI: 10.7824/rbh.v19i1.717

The use of pre-emergent herbicides offers a promising alternative for proper management of difficult-to-control weed species in soybeans, such as white-eye (Richardia brasiliensis Gomes), a glyphosate-tolerant species, and weeds in the Amaranthus genus (commonly referred to as pigweeds). Here, we aimed at determining whether weed control efficacy and crop selectivity are altered when pre-emergent herbicide applications take place either prior to, or right after crop sowing. To this end, field trials were conducted employing 10 preemergent herbicide treatments (plus an untreated control as well as an untreated, weed-free treatment), replicated four times and sprayed either before, or right after soybean sowing. Results indicate that the actual timing of pre-emergent herbicide spraying relative to soybean sowing significantly changed the weed control efficiency set forth by most herbicide active ingredients tested, with no change to their selectivity to crop plants whatsoever. Some herbicides (e.g. diclosulam, mesotrione, flumioxazin, and a flumioxazin + imazethapyr mixture), however, were equally effective for controlling white-eye and pigweeds regardless of application timing. Moreover, the only herbicide treatments allowing for satisfactory (>70%) control of all target weed species (white-eye, pigweeds, and black oats, Avena strigosa Schreb.) were flumioxazin and a flumioxazin + imazethapyr mixture. Spraying performed after sowing resulted in average yield gains of over 600 kg ha-1 relative to pre-sowing applications, possibly owing to better control of broadleaves. Altogether, this information is useful to soybean producers, as it does not lead to an increase in overall costs; instead, it only affects the timing of entry into the area for pre-emergent herbicide application.