The present research was carried out at the Agricultural Experimental Station of BASF S.A., located in the SP 340, highway km 144, Santo Antonio de Posse, State of São Paulo, on a dystrophic dark Red Latosol (Rhodic Haplustox) area, with medium texture. Four experiments were carried out to evaluate the selectivity of the herbicides dimethenamid, metribuzin and linuron, applied at different rates, in the pre-emergence condition, in the production characteristics and quality of the tubers of four cultivars of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.). In each experiment was used, a randomized block experimental design, with five replications and plots of 21 m² (3 x 7 m). The treatments were: hand weeded, dimethenamid at rates of 0.75; 1.50 and 3.00 kg ha-1, metribuzin at 0.48 and 0.72 kg ha-1 and linuron at 1.50 and 2.00 kg ha-1. Three visual injury evaluations were done at 24.31 and 42 days after aplication (DAA). The severity of crop the injury in the different cultivars, was directly correlated with the herbicides, the rate applied and the potato cultivars. The herbicide dimethenamid at 3,00 kg ha-1 showed the highest percentage of leaf damage, although these symptoms disappeared completely at 42 DAA. None herbicidal treatment interfered negatively in yield, dry matter content of the potatoes tuber, and in the final size of the potatoes tuber.
Solanum tuberosum; phytotoxicity; dimethenamid; metribuzin; linuron
