Sensitivity of avocado seedlings to herbicides

Abstract

An increase in crop productivity should be linked to the effective control of production costs. Thus, the chemical and selective control of weeds is an appropriate method because it saves labor and energy, requires little manpower, and allows control throughout the crop cycle. The present study aimed to evaluate the sensitivity of avocado seedlings to the phytotoxic effects of postemergence herbicide application. The experiment was carried out on avocado seeds of the cultivar Margarida in a greenhouse in the fruit sector of the Department of Agriculture, Federal University of Lavras. The experimental design was randomized block design, with four replicates and eight treatments, and each experimental plot consisted of three seedlings. The herbicides paraquat, oxyfluorfen, fomesafem, carfentrazone-ethyl, and glyphosate caused damage to avocado seedlings and should not be recommended based on the commercial dosage used. Paraquat caused the plants to die within 30 days after application. Fluazifop-p-butyl and imazethapyr proved to be the most promising for use in avocado orchards because they caused less damage to the crop.