An experiment was carried out in a Cambic Yellowish Red Podzolic soil, terrace phase, with 2,8% organic matter and claye y texture, to evaluate the effect of herbicides on weed control as w'ell as production and physiological quality of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L. 'Tatu') . The treatments were: weeded check, unweeded check, vernolate 3,6 kg a.i ./ha; trifluralin 0,58 kg a.i ./ha; fluorodifen 0,9 kg a.i ./ha; nitralin 0,75 kg a.i ./ha; pendimenthalin 1,5 kg a.i ./ha. The initial stand, seed production, hull, hulled peanut, and the number of weeds were evaluated. The test to evaluate the peanut physiological seed quality was perfomed. The seeds were placed in the accelerated aging chamber for a period of time such as 20, 60, and 80 hours under 42° ± 3°C and 95% relative humidity, and then the standard germination test was carried out. The woodso rrel (Oxalis sp). small flower galinsoga (Galinsoga parviflora) and nutsedge (Cyperus rotundus L.) predominat ed in the fie ld plots. Trifluralin, fluorodifen and pendimenthalin were the herbicides that controlled most of the woodsorrel. On the other hand nitra lin treatment did not differ of the unweeded check for nutsedge. The smal lf lower gali nsoga was totally controlled by pendimethalin. The herbicide treaments and the check plots did not differ statistically for seed production. The production of hull and hulled peanut with fluorodifen was only higher than weeded check plot. The peanut germination was damaged for the seed which came from weeded check and nitralin plots due to seed patho gens. The deterioration of the peanut seeds placed in the accelerated chamber was observed in the 20 hours period of time for weeded check and triflural in treatments. The seeds placed in that chamber for 40 hours period, were not accelerated for the unweeded check and fluorodifen treatments.
Weeds; herbicides; yield; physiological qualities; peanut