Sequential Application of Herbicides Alone and in Mixture With and Without Foliar Fertilizer after Pruning of Cassava Plants

ABSTRACT: A new cycle of growth begins after pruning of cassava, and weed control is necessary. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the selectivity and efficiency of sequential application of herbicides alone and in mixture with and without of foliar fertilizer after pruning of cassava. Two experiments were carried out in a randomized block design with four replications. The treatments of Experiment 1 consisted of control without weeding; control with weeding; mesotrione; mesotrione/mesotrione; mesotrione + foliar fertilizer/mesotrione + foliar fertilizer; mesotrione/mesotrione + foliar fertilizer; mesotrione + clethodim; mesotrione + clethodim + foliar fertilizer/mesotrione + clethodim + foliar fertilizer; mesotrione + clethodim/mesotrione + clethodim; mesotrione + clethodim/chlorimuron; mesotrione + clethodim/chlorimuron + foliar fertilizer; mesotrione + clethodim + foliar fertilizer/chlorimuron + clethodim + foliar fertilizer; mesotrione + clethodim/chlorimuron + clethodim]. Treatments of Experiment 2 consisted of control without weeding; control with weeding; chlorimuron; chlorimuron + foliar fertilizer/chlorimuron + foliar fertilizer; chlorimuron/chlorimuron; chlorimuron + clethodim; chlorimuron + clethodim + foliar fertilizer/chlorimuron + clethodim + foliar fertilizer; chlorimuron + clethodim/chlorimuron + clethodim; chlorimuron + clethodim/mesotrione + foliar fertilizer; chlorimuron + clethodim/mesotrione; chlorimuron + clethodim + foliar fertilizer/mesotrione + clethodim + foliar fertilizer; chlorimuron + clethodim/mesotrione + clethodim. The doses of mesotrione, clethodim, and chlorimuron used in both experiments were 240, 120, and 20 g ha-1, respectively, while 2.5 L of the commercial product Amino Plus® was used as foliar fertilizer. The first application was carried out at 50 days after pruning and the second application at 22 days after the first application. In Experiment 1, the application of mesotrione, mesotrione/mesotrione, and mesotrione + clethodim/mesotrione + clethodim showed selectivity to cassava and were efficient in weed control. In Experiment 2, chlorimuron + clethodim/mesotrione, chlorimuron + clethodim + foliar fertilizer/mesotrione + clethodim + foliar fertilizer, and chlorimuron + clethodim/mesotrione + clethodim were efficient in weed control, but no treatment was selective. The addition of foliar fertilizer to the spray solution did not contribute to increase selectivity.