EFFECTS OF WEED MANAGEMENT AND PLANT ARRANGEMENTS ON YIELD INDEX OF SWEET SORGHUM

Sweet sorghum is currently an important alternative for ethanol production in sugar cane off-season. In this study was to evaluate the effects of plant arrangements and the application of atrazine and S-metolachlor on growth and productivity of sweet sorghum. An experiment was conducted in randomized block design and, arranged in split plots with four repetitions. Plots consisted of spacing (0.25 m, 0.45 m 0.45-0.45-0.90 m) and sub-plots of weed control methods - atrazine (2000 g atrazine + S-metolachlor (2000 + 720 g ha(-1)), atrazine + S-metolachlor (2000 + 960 g ha(-1)), atrazine + S-metolachlor (2000 + 1200 g ha(-1)), atrazine + S-metolachlor (2000 + 1440 g ha(-1)). Besides that, manual hoeing control was added. The intoxication of sorghum plants and weed control was evaluated at 7, 14 e 28 days after herbicides application (DAA). Plant height, stem diameter, total fresh matter, juice mass and total soluble solids (degrees Brix) were evaluated at 120 days after crop emergence (DAE). There was no interaction between the factors spacings and control method for variables total matter fresh (TMF), height (H), stem diameter (D), juice mass (JM), and Brix. Application of the mixture (atrazine + S-metolachlor) in the highest doses reduced total fresh matter and degrees Brix. The spacing of 0.25 m provided the highest productivity of fresh matter, juice mass and increased the degrees Brix. The application of mixture (atrazine + S-metolachlor) controlled 90% of the weeds at 28 days after application. The increasing in doses of S-metolachlor elevates the intoxication in sorghum plants. The mixture (atrazine + S-metolachlor) has a potential for use in weed control in sweet sorghum, but at doses below 960 g ha(-1) of S-metolachlor.