The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the selectivity of the herbicide topramezone applied alone, and in a mixture with tebuthiuron. The herbicides were applied after sprouting on ten sugarcane varieties on condition of first crop. The treatments were: topramezone + Dash® (70 g ha-1 + 0.25% v/v); topramezone + tebuthiuron + Dash® (70 + 1.000 g ha-1+ 0.25% v/v); topramezone + tebuthiuron + Dash® (100 + 1.000 g ha-1 + 0.25% v/v), ametryn + tebuthiuron (1.500 + 1.000 g ha-1), applied 30 days after planting, and a control without herbicides. During the experiment, all plots remained free from the interference of weeds by hoeing. Herbicides were applied when the plants had reached the two to four leaf stages. Treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design in split- plot, with four replications for each treatment, with the varieties in the plots and the herbicides in the subplots. Ten varieties were utilized in this study: SP 83 2847, SP 80 3280, RB 85 5453, SP 80 1842, SP 89 1115, RB 86 7515, PO 8862, RB 85 5156, SP 80 1816, and SP 81 3250. Visual phyto-toxicity evaluations were taken 7, 14, 28, and 35 days after application. At the end of the study, technological parameters such as pol, fiber, and brix, and productive parameters, such as stalk weight, and sugar production, were determined. The formulation of topramezone alone followed by its mixtures with tebuthiuron initially provided severe visual injury to the sugarcane plants; however, the plants of all varieties tested had a total visual injury recovery 35 days after herbicide application. The mixture with tebuthiuron reduced the symptoms of injuries caused by topramezone. The mixture of ametryn + tebuthiuron showed the least severe phytotoxic action against the plants, regardless of the variety studied. None of herbicides tested showed negative effects on the technological or productive components of the studied varieties. The herbicides utilized on the ten varieties of sugarcane can, therefore, be considered selective.
Saccharum spp.; tebuthiuron; ametryn
