The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the herbicide fluridone on the control of submersed aquatic weeds (Egeria densa Planch., Egeria najas Planch. and Ceratophyllum demersum), the major aquatic weeds in the reservoir of Engº Souza Dias (Jupiá) Hydroelecric Power Plant, Itapura, São Paulo. The experiment, consisted of fluridone applications and was carried out in bays of the Tietê River, called Flórida and Barrenta. The lakes were divided into zones, each considered a treatment. All treated zones in the lakes received an initial fluridone application to achieve the concentration of 20 ppb. The fluridone amount used in all the other applications was calculated to restore the 20 ppb concentration. The applications were performed with a bar with three injection nozzles submersed at three different depths (0.2; 0.6 and 1.2 meter). The application volume was 54 l/ha in each operation. Visual evaluations of phytotoxicity symptoms on the three species studied and biomass evaluations were carried out. Under the conditions of this work, fluridone controlled the submersed aquatic plants Egeria najas and Egeria densa; Egeria densa and Egeria najas reinfested the area as the effect of fluridone ended; Ceratophyllum demersum and non-target plants, such as Salvinia auriculata, Ipomoea spp., Merremia sp., Typha latifolia, Cyperus spp., were not controlled.
herbicide; aquatic macrophyte; Egeria densa; Egeria najas; Ceratophyllum demersum
