Effect of Fertiactyl® on the absorption and translocation of 14C-glyphosate in young eucalyptus plants

Fertiactyl® is a foliar fertilizer with the potential to minimize the phytotoxicity effects caused by glyphosate drift in eucalyptus plants. As the interactions of the glyphosate and Fertiactyl® in tank mix on the plant behavior are not yet known, the objective was to evaluate the absorption and translocation of 14C-glyphosate, applied isolated and mixed in tank with Fertiactyl®, in young eucalyptus plants (clone I-144, Eucalyptus urophylla x E. grandis). The addition of Fertiactyl® to the mixture of 14C-glyphosate reduced the absorption by 94.3% in relation to the total absorbed at the end of the evaluation compared to plants treated only with 14C-glyphosate, i.e., Fertiactyl® protected the eucalyptus plants of the glyphosate intoxication by drift. The translocation rates from the treated leaves to the rest of the shoots and roots were low (<2% of the total recovered) in both treatments, suggest that restricted translocation is a mechanism of natural tolerance to glyphosate in plants of clone I-144. It is concluded that Fertiactyl®, mixed in the solution with glyphosate, protects young eucalyptus plants against glyphosate drift by reducing the amount of herbicide absorbed.

Fertiactyl® in mixture with glyphosate decreases herbicide absorption and translocation in coffee seedlings

The application of glyphosate to coffee crops can cause injuries to plants. Fertiactyl® foliar fertilizer reduces injuries when mixed with glyphosate; however, it is important to establish which mechanisms are responsible for this protective action. This study aimed to evaluate the absorption and translocation of glyphosate applied separately and in mixture with Fertiactyl® in coffee seedlings. Absorption and translocation were performed with 14C-glyphosate applied separately and in mixture with Fertiactyl® at 0, 6, 12, 24, 48, 96, and 144 hours after application (HAA). Most of the 14C-glyphosate applied to coffee seedlings was not absorbed. The 14C-glyphosate applied separately had a higher absorption by coffee seedlings (6.5%) than in a mixture with Fertiactyl® (2.7%) at 144 HAA. The maximum translocation of the 14C-glyphosate applied separately was 0.69% at 81.2 HAA and in mixture with Fertiactyl® was 0.41% at 41.2 HAA. The treated leaves retained a higher percentage of 14C-glyphosate when applied separately (5.6% at 144 HAA) than in a mixture with Fertiactyl® (2.2% at 144 HAA). Low translocation (<1%) for the rest of the plant shoots was observed both for the 14C-glyphosate applied separately and in combination with Fertiactyl®. Therefore, Fertiactyl® decreased the absorption and translocation of 14C-glyphosate in coffee seedlings.