This research was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of carfentrazone-ethyl, isolated and in mixture with to glyphosate or glyphosate-potassium salt, on controlling two dayflower species, Commelina diffusa and C. benghalensis. These species were grown from stem segments in 12 L pots filled with soil, during 120 days. A complete randomized block design with four replicates was performed for each species. The treatments were carfentrazone-ethyl (0, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 g ha-1), isolated and in mixture with glyphosate or glyphosate-potassium salt, these being applied at doses of 720 g ha-1. The percentages of weed control and shoot fresh weight (SFW) were evaluated. C. diffusa was more tolerant to carfentrazone-ethyl alone or combined with both glyphosate and glyphosate-potassium salt than C. benghalensis. Both glyphosate and glyphosate-potassium salt were inefficient (control below 30%) when applied isolated, regardless of the species. The efficiency of controlling herbicide mixtures was greater than their single applications, except for the carfentrazone-ethyl in doses above 30 g ha-1, with C. benghalensis, in which control was similar to the employed mixtures. Despite the reasonable control (from 71 to 80%) for C. diffusa and the very good control (above 81%) for C. benghalensis, obtained with carfentrazone-ethyl + glyphosate or carfentrazone-ethyl + glyphosate-potassium salt mixtures, a sole application did not decisively control Commelina spp. In effect, recovery of plants as seen through SFW evaluation took place irrespective of the species; moreover, for C. benghalensis, reinfestation from underground seeds that became viable after the shoot's death, due to herbicide application, was also found.
Commelina benghalensis; Commelina diffusa; control; herbicides
