Applying herbicides at mulches may increase the efficiency of these materials for weed management. The objective of this research was to evaluate the possibility of pendimethalin applied on rice husks and sawdust for weed control on Ixora chinensis. In two field trials, pendimethalin was applied to the mulches through imbibition and spraying herbicide, also varying the amount of mulches. Higher frequent weeds were Alternanthera tenella, Blainvillea rhomboidea, Cenchrus echinatus and Commelina benghalensis. There are possibility of pendimethalin application on rice husks or sawdust for controlling weeds in I. chinensis mainly when regular and well-distributed rainfalls occur. There are evidences that the imbibition of these mulches to the herbicide is a little more efficient for controlling weeds than the spraying herbicide on the mulches. Probably, the amount of mulches would influence in the control efficiency, although this fact had not been clear in this study.
Mulches; herbicide; ornamental plant
