The aim of this research was to evaluate the efficacy of some herbicides (2,4-D, diquat, and glyphosate) and the leaf blade anatomic changes such herbicides caused in Polygonum lapathifolium. The plants were cultivated in reservoirs containing water under field conditions and were sprayed with herbicide when reaching full development (before flowering). The following anatomical characteristics were quantitatively evaluated from the central nervure regions and the leaf inter nervural blade: adaxial and abaxial epidermis percentage, bundle sheath percentage, vascular bundle percentage, sclerenchyma and colenchyma percentage, palisade and lacuna parenchyma percentage and leaf thickness (μm). The following treatments were carried out: diquat (400 g a.i. ha-1 - Reward), 2,4-D (1.340 g a.e. ha-1 DMA 806 BR) and glyphosate (4.320 g a.e. ha-1 - Rodeo) with the Silwet L-77 surfactant addition at 0.01% v v-1. The main quantitative anatomical region characteristics of the central nervure of the leaf limbus which changed after herbicide application were: adaxial epidermis percentage, vascular bundle percentage, colenchyma percentage, palisade and lacuna parenchyma percentage, and leaf thickness. For the inter-nervural region of the leaf blade, the major quantitative anatomical characters which changed after herbicide application were: adaxial epidermis percentage, bundle sheath percentage, and leaf thickness. The herbicides diquat and 2,4-D were inefficient for P. lapathifolium plants and glyphosate showed a good control over 90% at 100 days after application. However, all herbicides allowed plant re-growth.
leaf anatomy; aquatic plant; weed; chemical control
