USO DE PRÉ EMERGENTES EM CANA-DE-AÇÚCAR EM SISTEMA DE PALHADA

Abstract

Through chemical control, pre-emergence herbicides with residual effects ensure that the crop initially develops in an environment free from weed competition. Pre-emergent herbicides are used to maintain a low level of weed competition in the area by inhibiting the germination of the existing seed bank. Based on this premise, the objective of this study was to evaluate the use of pre-emergent herbicides in sugarcane under a straw mulch system. The experiment was conducted in the municipality of Campo Alegre de Goiás, Goiás, during the 2020/2021 growing season. The experimental setup was established on November 11, 2020, using a randomized block design with seven treatments and four replications. The treatments consisted of weed management strategies using pre-emergent herbicides, which were applied via aerial spraying with a spray volume of 80 liters per hectare. For treatment evaluation, 20 plants were randomly selected from each experimental unit on July 16, 2021. Subsequently, plant height, number of internodes, plant population, and yield were determined. Data analyses were performed using the R Core Team statistical software. The application of pre-emergent herbicides resulted in a reduction or even the absence of weeds compared to the control (absence of pre-emergent herbicide). However, the use of pre-emergent herbicides was not effective in increasing sugarcane yield.