Anticipation of soybean harvest by chemical desiccants

Abstract

The study was developed with the objective of studying the optimal moment for the appliccation of desiccant herbicides, the feasibility of early harvesting and its effects on the yield and physiological quality of soybean seeds. The research was conducted in the Vovo Palmira Farm, in Jardim Olinda PR Brazil. It was used the Cultivar BMX Potency RR sown during the normal growing season. The experimental design consisted of randomized blocks in a 5 x 11 factorial scheme, during five application periods, with doses of the herbicides Paraquat and Diquat (2000 ml ha -1 ) and control. The results showed that the Paraquat has more homogeneous parameters in its applications, whereas the Diquat of 3 and 6 days provided the best results, being that with an increase in the number of days occurs a decrease in weight and an increase in moisture rates, showing low quality and high drying time. The areas in which the pesticides were applied failed to be appropriate for certified seed banks, due to the moisture rates and also the quantity of dead and abnormal germinations. However, they were effective in the reduction of the plant’s dry weight and in the improvement of the harvest process.