Initial growth of melon after the application of post-emergency herbicides

Abstract

The control of weeds in melon crops is hampered by the lack of selective herbicide information for the crop. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of post-emergence herbicide application on yellow melon and toad skin culture. Two experiments (one for each cultivar) were carried out in a completely randomized design with four replications. The treatments were composed by the application of the herbicides in post-emergence: fomesafen (250 g a.i. ha-1); flumioxazin (2000 g a.i. ha-1); fenoxaprop (110 g a.i. ha-1); ioxynil (1005 g a.i. ha-1); carfentrazone (20 g a.i. ha-1); oxyfluorfen (960 g a.i. ha-1); oxadiazon (1200 g a.i. ha-1); and control without application. Phytotoxicity evaluations were performed at 7, 14, 21 and 28 days after application (DAA). The leaf number, stem length, leaf area, stem diameter and total dry matter evaluations were performed at 28 DAA. Oxadiazon and oxyfluorfen herbicides negatively influenced the initial growth of yellow melon. Oxadiazon and ioxynil herbicides negatively influenced the initial growth of toad skin melon. The herbicides flumioxazin and fomesafen did not alter the initial growth of yellow melon and frog skin melon presenting great potential for selectivity tests.