The objective of this research was to compare the tolerance of two crabgrass species (Digitaria nuda and D. ciliaris) to diuron and to evaluate whether absorption and/or translocation are involved in the mechanism of tolerance to the herbicide. In order to determine the tolerance of the crabgrass species, plants at the vegetative growth stage of three true leaves were sprayed with different rates of diuron. Dose-response curves were adjusted to plant dry biomatter at 21 days after application. The absorption and translocation studies were conducted using 14C-diuron, measuring radioactivity in different plant parts at 0, 3, 6, 12, 24 and 48 hours after application. The results were expressed as percentage related to the total radioactivity recovered. The relation (T/S) between the rate required to reduce plant dry matter (GR50) at 21 DAA of the species D. nuda and the GR50 of D. ciliaris was 2.7, showing differential susceptibility of the species. There was no difference in the absorption by the species. Translocation was minimum in both species. It was concluded that differential absorption and/or translocation were not involved in the mechanism of tolerance to diuron present in Digitaria nuda crabgrass species.
Digitaria nuda; Digitaria ciliaris; tolerance; radioactivity; radioimage
