Respiration induced by substrate and bacteria diversity after application of diuron, hexazinone, and sulfometuron-methyl alone and in mixture

After application, herbicides often reach the soil and affect non-target soil microorganisms, decreasing their population, diversity or affecting metabolic activity. Therefore, laboratory studies were performed to evaluate the effects of diuron, hexazinone and sulfometuron-methyl alone and mixed upon carbon transformation by soil microorganisms in clayey and sandy soils and the effect on bacterial diversity and structure. Control treatment without herbicide application was also performed. Sub-samples from the control and herbicide treatments (10 g - in triplicate) were collected before herbicide application and 7, 14, 28 and 42 days after treatment (DAT), then 1 mL of ¹⁴C-glucose solution was applied. The released ¹⁴CO₂ was trapped in 2 M NaOH solution and the radioactivity was analyzed by liquid scintillation counting (LSC), 12 h after glucose application. The effect of herbicides on bacterial diversity was evaluated by T-RFLP. The experiment was conducted in a complete randomized design. Hexazinone did not affect ¹⁴CO₂ evolution. Diuron showed a greater ¹⁴CO₂ evolution in sandy and clayey soil, while sulfometuron-methyl led to an increase in sandy soil, at 42 DAT. A greater evolution of carbon was observed in the treatment with herbicide mixture in sandy soil, compared with the same treatment in clayey soil or control. However, the herbicide mixture application did not affect the soil biological activity measured by the respiration rate induced by substrate. On the other hand, the herbicide mixtures affected the bacterial diversity in both soils, being the strongest effect to diuron and sulfometuron-methyl in clayey soil and hexazinone in sandy soil.

Absorption and translocation of sulfometuron-methyl in sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) at different growth stages

In Brazil, weed management in sugarcane fields is mainly done with the use of selective herbicide formulations. For many years, diuron+hexazinone was one of the main herbicide mixture formulations used in sugarcane. Later, sulfometuron-methyl was included in the same mixture, which was marketed as a new herbicide formulation for residual in-season weed control in sugarcane. The mixture diuron+hexazinone+sulfometuron-methyl has been widely used in commercial sugarcane fields in Brazil. However, recent field observations have shown that sugarcane plants at different growth stages varied in their phytotoxicity levels after treatment with diuron+hexazinone+sulfometuron-methyl. Greenhouse and laboratory studies were conducted to determine ¹⁴Csulfometuron-methyl absorption and translocation, as well as ¹⁴C distribution in sugarcane at two growth stages, 2 to 3 leaves and 5 to 6 leaves. ¹⁴Csulfometuron-methyl absorption by sugarcane did not differ between the two growth stages. Different patterns of ¹⁴C accumulation were observed, which may explain variations in sulfometuron-methyl phytotoxic responses observed in the field.

Leaching of Diuron, Hexazinone, and Sulfometuron-methyl Applied Alone and in Mixture in Soils with Contrasting Textures

When herbicides are applied in mixture, interactions among them could potentially promote changes in herbicide behavior in the soil. Thus, application mode (isolated or in mixture) and soil texture (sandy or clayey) were investigated in the total leaching of the commercial mixture diuron + hexazinone + sulfometuron-methyl, and of each isolated compound. Experiments in soil columns also evaluated the movement of each herbicide and mixtures across soil layers. In the sandy soil, the greatest total leaching was observed with hexazinone compared to diuron and sulfometuron. Most of the applied diuron remained at the top layer of the soil, indicating that this herbicide has low soil mobility. Overall, our results show that hexazinone has greater leaching potential and mobility along the soil profile compared to diuron and sulfometuron. Our data can be used in assessing the fate of diuron, hexazinone, and sulfometuron alone or in mixture on natural ecosystems, under different soil types and application modes.

Lipid metabolism of commercial layers fed diets containing aflatoxin, fumonisin, and a binder

Aflatoxins (AF) and fumonisins (FU) are a major problem faced by poultry farmers, leading to huge economic losses. This experiment was conducted to determine the effects of AF (1 mg/kg of feed) and FU (25 mg/kg of feed), singly or in combination, on the lipid metabolism in commercial layers and investigate the efficacy of a commercial binder (2 kg/t of feed) on reducing the toxic effects of these mycotoxins. A total of 168 Hisex Brown layer hens, 37 wk of age, were randomized into a 3 × 2 + 1 factorial arrangement (3 diets with no binder containing AF, FU, and AF+FU; 3 diets with binder containing AF, FU, and AF+FU; and a control diet with no mycotoxins and binders), totaling 7 treatments. The hens contaminated with AF showed the characteristic effects of aflatoxicosis, such as a yellow liver, resulting from the accumulation of liver fat, lower values of plasma very low-density lipoprotein and triglycerides, and higher relative weight of the kidneys and liver. Hepatotoxic and nephrotoxic effects of FU were not observed in this study. On the other hand, the FU caused a reduction in small intestine length and an increase in abdominal fat deposition. The glucan-based binder prevented some of the deleterious effects of these mycotoxins, particularly the effects of AF on hepatic lipid metabolism, kidney relative weight, and FU in the small intestine.

Glyphosate sustainability in South American cropping systems

South America represents about 12% of the global land area, and Brazil roughly corresponds to 47% of that. The major sustainable agricultural system in South America is based on a no-tillage cropping system, which is a worldwide adopted agricultural conservation system. Societal benefits of conservation systems in agriculture include greater use of conservation tillage, which reduces soil erosion and associated loading of pesticides, nutrients and sediments into the environment. However, overreliance on glyphosate and simpler cropping systems has resulted in the selection of tolerant weed species through weed shifts (WSs) and evolution of herbicide-resistant weed (HRW) biotypes to glyphosate. It is a challenge in South America to design herbicide- and non-herbicide-based strategies that effectively delay and/or manage evolution of HRWs and WSs to weeds tolerant to glyphosate in cropping systems based on recurrent glyphosate application, such as those used with glyphosate-resistant soybeans. The objectives of this paper are (i) to provide an overview of some factors that influence WSs and HRWs to glyphosate in South America, especially in Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay soybean cropped areas; (ii) to discuss the viability of using crop rotation and/or cover crops that might be integrated with forage crops in an economically and environmentally sustainable system; and (iii) to summarize the results of a survey of the perceptions of Brazilian farmers to problems with WSs and HRWs to glyphosate, and the level of adoption of good agricultural practices in order to prevent or manage it.