Light availability in the cultivation environment and the action of glyphosate on Digitaria insularis: physiological aspects and herbicide root exudation

Abstract

The root exudation decreases the susceptibility of some species to herbicides, which is still little studied in Digitaria insularis, popularly known as sourgrass, one of the main weeds of annual crops in the world. Thus, we sought to identify whether there is an occurrence of root exudation of glyphosate in D. insularis and the influence of this herbicide on physiological and control parameters of this species when cultivated under different light conditions. The experimental design was 2 x 5, with the first factor represented by environments: full sun and artificial shading. The second factor was represented by doses 0, 370, 740, 1110, and 1480 g ha−1 of glyphosate. The plants grown in shading showed more significant injury in the initial phase. The increase in the glyphosate doses reduced the photochemical efficiency of the photosystem II (ФPSII), electron transport rate (ETR), photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, and water use efficiency of D. insularis regardless of the cultivation environment. The light restriction increased the ФPSII in D. insularis at three days after applying the herbicide (DAH); at 6 DAH, the shaded plants showed a more pronounced reduction in ФPSII. D. insularis did not show root exudation of glyphosate, and shading did not influence this process.