The objective of this work was to evaluate the impact of the herbicides ametryn and trifloxysulfuron-sodium, singly or combined, and 2,4-D, on respiratory rate, microbial biomass, and metabolic quotient on sugar cane-cultivated soil. A completely randomized design was adopted in a split-plot scheme with four replications. The effect of the herbicides was evaluated in the plots and the effect of time after herbicide application in the split-plots. The herbicide doses, in kg ha-1, were: 1.30 (2,4-D), 1.00 (ametryn), 0.0225 (trifloxysulfuron-sodium), and 1.463 + 0.0375 for the mixture ametryn + trifloxysulfuron-sodium,, respectively. At 60 days after shoot emergence, the herbicides were sprayed on the sugarcane plants. At 15, 30, 45, and 60 days after herbicide application, rhizospheric and non-rhizospheric soil samples were collected and analyzed for respiratory rate (RR) microbial biomass (MB), metabolic quotient (qCO2), and total C-CO2 evolved from the soil (TCE). Ametryn applied singly or combined with trifloxysulfuron-sodium led to higher RR, while 2,4-D alone had little influence on this variable. Higher TCEs were verified in the soils of the treatments with trifloxysulfuron-sodium, ametryn, and with the compounds combined. Soil MB was reduced in the presence of ametryn applied singly or combined. These treatments resulted in higher values of qCO2 at 45 and 60 days of application, respectively.
Saccharum spp.; microbial biomass; metabolic quotient; ametryn; trifloxysulfuron-sodium; 2,4-D
