CHLOROPHYLL FLUORESCENCE IN Brachiaria decumbens AND Brachiaria ruziziensis SUBMITTED TO HERBICIDES

Abstract

ABSTRACT Different doses of herbicides can promote a differentiated physiological response in grasses of the same genus. This study has been proposed in order to evaluate physiological responses of B. ruziziensis and B. decumbens submitted to glyphosate and fluazifop-p-butyl. Treatments were distributed in a 2 x 6 factorial design with five repetitions, being two grasses: B. decumbens cv. Basilisk and B. ruziziensis with six doses of herbicides: 0.00; 0.25; 0.50; 1.00; 1.5 and 2.00 times the commercial dose recommended by manufacturers. At 7, 15, 21, and 30 days after herbicide application (DAA) chlorophyll luminous energy uptake efficiency was evaluated. Plants subjected to glyphosate at 7 days after application (DAA) showed minimum fluorescence of 270 and 245 quantum-1 electrons to B. ruziziensis and B. decumbens, respectively, levels increased by 350% when compared to the control, and at 15 DAA the treated plants have completely dried up. At 15 DAA, both forage species submitted to the fluazifop-p-butyl showed a 25% reduction in Fv/Fm ratio compared with the control and there was no significant difference between the lowest and highest doses applied. B. ruziziensis and B. decumbens are more sensitive to glyphosate than fluazifop-p-butyl. Regarding fluazifop-p-butyl, B. ruziziensis was more sensitive than B. decumbens and at 45 days after cutting B. decumbens plants submitted to doses up to 100 g ha-1 were able to regenerate their photosynthetic apparatus.