Growth, Anatomy and Physiology of Coffee Plants Intoxicated by the Herbicide Glyphosate

Abstract

<p>Weed control is fundamental in coffee cultivation due to their high interference, competing with the crop for water, light and nutrients. Among the control methods used, chemical control is highlighted, due to its high efficiency and low cost. However, due to application failures, herbicide drift phytotoxicity is common. Aiming at the search for selective active ingredients in coffee, the objective of this study was to evaluate the selectivity of the active ingredient Glyphosate in young coffee plants. The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse with ‘Topázio MG1190’ coffee plants (<em>Coffea arabica</em> L.), cultivated in pots with an 11 L-substrate capacity. The statistical design was RBD, with four replications and four doses of the herbicide, making up 16 experimental plots. Each plot consisted of three plants. The treatments were: (i) 0%; (ii) 10%; (iii) 25% and (iv) 50% of the commercial dose of the herbicide Glyphosate. The evaluations were performed at 104 days after application of the treatments. Growth, morphological, physiological and anatomical characteristics were evaluated. The collected data were analyzed using the SISVAR software. The effect of glyphosate drift impairs plant growth. However, after 104 days of intoxication, there is no longer any effect on the physiology and leaf anatomy of coffee trees.</p>

Phytotoxicity and leaf anatomy of young coffee plants subjected to herbicides exclusively and in associations

“…In this way, the anatomical results and the symptoms of phytotoxicity are indicative of the recovery capacity of the coffee trees when applying herbicides, which corroborate the work of Castanheira et al (2019b) and França et al (2010) when using the glyphosate herbicide.In this context, the mechanisms that elucidate this survival capacity, with a focus on translocation and metabolism, associated with the phytotoxicity symptoms identification, are necessary for that the choice of chemical management of weeds is make it safe, efficient and sustainable.…”

Growth of robusta coffee after the application of herbicides to control Urochloa ruziziensis

“…Tuffi Santos et al (2005) studying the root exudate of glyphosate by U. decumbens was found that the transfer of 14C-glyphosate to Eucalyptus plants. Castanheira et al (2019) studying the effect of simulated glyphosate drift on coffee plants (Coffea arabica L.) found that even minimal contact with the herbicide caused a reduction in plant height. Fialho et al (2011) found a 38 and 33% reduction in the growth of coffee plants when they were being grown in the presence of Mucuna aterrima Piper & Tracy and Brachiaria plantaginea (Link) Hitch respectively, which differs from the results obtained in this study.…”

“…The coffee agribusiness has a prominent position in the Brazilian economy due to being an important source of jobs and income (Silva et al, 2017;Castanheira et al, 2019). In Brazil there are 370 thousand hectares under robusta coffee cultivation.…”

“…According to Castanheira et al (2019), coffee productivity is related to several factors, such as soil fertility, nutrient availability, phytosanitary controls, climatic conditions, the use of technologies and proper weed management. The latter being an extremely important factor when considering the rapid development of seedlings following transplanting.…”

Agriculture without paraquat is feasible without loss of productivity. Lessons learned from phasing out a highly hazardous herbicide

“…However, these alternatives are not without their problems. Several authors have documented phytoxicity issues and highlighted the harmful effects of reliance on high dose, blanket applications of glyphosate on young coffee trees(Castanheira et al 2019, Chaverria 2018, Nelson 2008). Phytotoxic damage from drift of glyphosate droplets in coffee seedlings is common and, in addition, there are reports of contamination by this herbicide to non-target plants via the rhizosphere (…”