Herbicide application via irrigation water (herbigation) has been increasingly used in Brazil, mainly through center pivot. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of fomesafen rates applied via overhead sprinkler irrigation for the control of Euphorbia heterophylla. A (4 x 3 x 2) + 3 factorial experiment was used consisting of: fomesafen rates (60, 120, 180, and 240 g ha-1), weed development stages (1, 7, and 14 days after emergence - DAE), application methods (spray and herbigation) and checks that did not receive the herbicide (one for each weed development stage). A completely randomized design with four replications was used. The experimental unit was a pot with four liters of soil, where 50 seeds of the weed were sown. The spray consisted of 200 liters ha-1; for herbigation, a volume of 4.72 mm of water was applied with an irrigation simulator. The most susceptible stage of E. heterophylla was at 1 DAE, when herbigation was more efficient than spraying at the rates of 180 and 240 g ha-1. At 7 DAE, spraying was generally more efficient than herbigation, but the level of weed control was inadequate. Fomesafen was not efficient when applied at 14 DAE, regardless of the rate and the application method.
wild poinsettia; herbigation; development phases; protox inhibitor
