Behavior of turfgrass treated with clethodim and sethoxydim herbicides
The main factor of turfgrass maintenance cost is mowing to the appropriate height. Turfgrass (Paspalum notatum Flügge) vegetative and reproductive growth as affected by applications of clethodim and sethoxydim was evaluated
in two experiments conducted at Escola Superior de Agronomia de Paraguaçu Paulista, urban campus, at Paraguaçu
Paulista Municipal District, São Paulo State, in an area where turfgrass is already established. A randomized complete
block experimental design was used with six treatments and four repetitions, represented by clethodim at 0,0000;
0,0037; 0,0075; 0,0150; 0,0300 and 0,0600 kg a.i.. ha-1, and sethoxydim at 0,0000; 0,0156; 0,0312; 0,0625; 0,1250
and 0,2500 kg a.i. ha-1. Seven days after application, Clethodim and sethoxydim, caused toxicity to the plants starting
from 0,0300 and 0,1250 kg.ha-1, respectively. Forty-nine days after application, toxicity symptoms practically
disappeared for all of the treatments. Chlorophyll content in the leaves did not show significant differences between
clethodim and sethoxydim treatments in relation to the check, in none of the periods analyzed. There was a progressive
reduction of medium height and number of turfgrass inflorescences in conjunction with clethodim and sethoxydim
concentrations. These herbicides presented viable options to reduce vegetative and reproductive growth of P. notatum,
with sethoxydim maintaining the better visual characteristics compared to treatments with clethodim.