Weed control by amicarbazone applied in the presence of sugar-cane straw

Considering that straw can alter the dynamics and effectiveness of herbicides in the raw sugar-cane system, complementing their action, this work aimed to verify amicarbazone effectiveness in controlling weed plants under various conditions, including the possibility of herbicide absorption directly from sugar-cane straw. Thus, an experiment was set up in vases with four repetitions, using controls with and without straw, besides amicarbazone applied under different situations: on 5 t ha(-1) of straw, on soil later covered with 5 t ha I of straw: on soil without straw cover and with or without simulation of different rainfall amounts applied before or after herbicide application. The amicarbazone rate applied was 1.400 g ha(-1) of active ingredient (i.a.). with equivalent liquid consumption of 200 L ha(-1). The weed plants used were Brachiaria plantaginea, Brachiaria decumbens. Ipomoea grandifolia and Cyperus rotundus. Weed plant control percentage was evaluated at 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, 49 and 56 days after application (DAA) in the treatments where amicarbazone was applied in pre-emergence and at 3. 10. 17. 24. 31 and 38 DAA. when the herbicide was applied in post-emergence; dry biomass was evaluated at 56 or 38 DAA as well as C. rotundus tuber viability, by applying the tetrazolium test during the last evaluation. It was verified that, regardless of the weed plant evaluated, the highest control indices were obtained when amicarbazone was applied on the straw, with a simulated rainfall corresponding to 2.5 or 30 min of rain and in the treatments where the herbicide was applied directly in the soil without or with straw. Thus, for I. grandifolia, B. plantaginea and B. decumbens, higher control levels were verified when amicarbazone reached the soil, both when applied directly and when leached from the straw from the simulated rainfall after application. As for C. rotundus, the highest control percentages were observed when amicarbazone was applied on the straw, with rain simulation immediately after application, showing that leaching plays a fundamental role in providing an appropriate absorption and effectiveness of the herbicide evaluated.