Screening and dose-response of herbicides to mauve and jute

Abstract

The production of mauve (Urena lobata) and jute (Corchorus capsularis) fiber is demanded by the industry as a raw material in the production of canvas, ropes, book covers and other applications. The production cycle of this fiber is a sustainable activity because it uses renewable resources of the floodplains of the Solimões River in the Amazonas state. The crop management combined with weed control are conditions for the species to express the maximum productive potential. The use of selective herbicides constitutes an efficient and economically viable alternative for this purpose. The objective of this research was to evaluate the selectivity of herbicides through screening and dose-response for these two species producers of natural fibers. Two experiments were conducted in a greenhouse: the first, in the form of screening to assess herbicides applied in post-emergence as bentazon, clethodim, fluazifop-p-butyl, fomesafen, linuron, oxyfluorfen, and sulfentrazone at recommended doses for other crops; and the second, the herbicides clethodim and fluazifop-p-butyl that were selective to jute and mauve, in 7 doses. The herbicides bentazon, linuron, fomesafen, oxyfluorfen, and sulfentrazone caused death of all plants while clethodim and fluazifop-p-butyl were moderately phytotoxic. The two species were more tolerant to fluazifop-p-butyl than to clethodim.