This work aimed to evaluate the influence of herbicides on the physiological characteristics of three sugarcane cultivars. The experiment was conducted in a randomized block design with three replications in a factorial design 3 x 8. Factor A was constituted of three sugarcane cultivars (RB867515, RB855156, and SP80-1816), and factor B of the herbicides tembotrione, MSMA, diuron + hexazinone, sulfentrazone, trifloxysulfuron-sodium, tebuthiuron, clomazone, and a treatment without herbicide (control). The transpiration rate of cultivar RB867515 plants was negatively affected when sulfentrazone, clomazone, and tebuthiuron were applied,compared to the control. Regarding water use efficiency, no differences were observed between the cultivars and the herbicides. Stomatal conductance of cultivars RB867515 and SP80-1816 was not affected by the herbicides. Only cultivar RB867515 presented lower photosynthetic rate when sulfentrazone was applied. The herbicides tested had distinct effects on the physiological characteristics of the three cultivars evaluated. Cultivar RB867515 showed the least variation in photosynthetic rate in the presence of the products tested, as compared to the control.
photosynthetic rate; Saccharum spp; herbicide selectivity
