This work was conducted to evaluate the tolerance of coffee plant seedlings to post emergence herbicide application. Flumiozaxin, sulfentrazone, flazasulfuron, clethodim, fluazifop-p-butil, imazamox, bentazon, fomesafen, lactofen, oxyfluorfen, chlorimuron-ethil, metribuzin and also the mixtures of fluazifop-p-butil + fomesafen and of nicosulfuron + atrazine were sprayed directly on top of the plants, 15 days after coffee seedling transplantation, in 3.0 L pots. Herbicide injury, coffee plant height, diameter and also shoot and root dry weights were evaluated. Whereas imazamox, sulfentrazone, oxyfluorfen and lactofen imposed a high injury (49 to 64%), metribuzin and the nicosulfuron + atrazine tank mixture killed all the plants 35 days after application. The greatest plant height decreases were imposed by imazamox (62%) and sulfentrazone (68%). Both the shoot and the root dry matter contents were a maximum of 67% of that verified on the control, after applications of sulfentrazone, flazasulfuron, imazamox, lactofen and oxyfluorfen. The greatest potential to post emergence application on top of the plants were achieved with fluazifop-p-butyl, clethodim, fomesafen, chlorimuron-ethyl, flumioxazin and fluazifop-p-butyl + fomesafen, since they neither significantly injured the plants nor affected their dry matter production.
coffee; selectivity; phyto toxicity
