Historically, many herbicides have been tested for control of purple and yellow nutsedge, (Cyperus rotundusL. # CYPRO and (C. esculentusL. # CYPES). However, most chemicals provide only poor or temporary control. Reasons for failure include marginal translocation of herbicides to sites of action, temporary inhibition of tuber sprouting, and control of new tuber formation or inconsistent control when applied at different stages of growth and under various environmental conditions. Evaluation criteria that emphasize control of new plants and foliage rather than inhibition of tuber sprouting or new tuber production also contribute to erratic results. Progress toward solving these research problems is evident in studies of the influence of herbicides relative to nutsedge growth stages, new tuber development, and tuber recovery following treatment. In this review, nutsedge response to herbicides grouped by their mode of action within plants will be summarized.

Para se alcançar eficiência no manejo cultural, é muito importante determinar o período crítico de interferência (PCI) das plantas daninhas no cultivo das hortaliças. Avaliou-se neste trabalho a interferência das plantas daninhas na cultura do tomate para processamento, pelo transplantio de mudas, na Embrapa Hortaliças, em delineamento de blocos ao acaso com 3 repetições. Os tratamentos foram divididos em dois grupos, com períodos iniciais crescentes, denominados sem a interferência (no limpo) e com interferência (no mato) das plantas daninhas. No primeiro, a cultura de tomate permaneceu livre da interferência das plantas daninhas desde o transplantio das mudas até os seguintes períodos (dias) do ciclo de desenvolvimento do tomate: 1-28, 1-35, 1-49, 1-63, 1-77, 1-91 (todo ciclo, colheita). Após estes períodos, as plantas daninhas cresceram livremente até o final do ciclo da cultura. No segundo grupo a cultura permaneceu com a interferência das plantas daninhas desde o preparo final do solo e transplantio das mudas até os mesmos períodos descritos para o primeiro grupo. Após estes períodos as plantas daninhas foram removidas manualmente até a colheita. De um total de 24, as espécies mais freqüentes e/ou de maior acúmulo de matéria seca foram: Bidens pilosa, Brachiaria plantaginea, Nicandra physaloides e Oxalis latifolia. As plantas daninhas causaram reduções na produção de tomate de até 75,5%, sendo que o PCI ocorreu no período do 33º ao 76º dia após a implantação da cultura.

The potential for yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentusL. var.leptostachyusBoeck. # CYPES) regrowth was reduced by increasing plant age and by glyphosate [N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine] and oxyfluorfen [2-chloro-1-(3-ethoxy-4-nitrophenoxy)-4-(trifluoromethyl)benzene]. Of the amount of glyphosate transported to underground parts, most was found in the tubers, with immature rhizomes, roots, and tubers having 2 to 3 times higher concentrations than comparable mature tissues. Addition of unlabeled oxyfluorfen as a tank mixture with glyphosate increased absorption and translocation, mainly into leaves and new tubers, of radioactivity from14C-glyphosate in 30-day-old plants. In contrast to the younger plants, the addition of oxyfluorfen decreased14C-glyphosate detected in 60-day-old plants. The greater effectiveness of glyphosate when applied with oxyfluorfen on yellow nutsedge at the early growth stage has important implications in the field because the tuberization process must be stopped early in the development of the plant for successful control.

Alambra' was more responsive to treatments than 'Duradoro'. Methyl bromide fumigation and solarization reduced the number and survival of weed seeds in the soil. Solarization increased levels of P and Cu, and reduced levels of Zn in the soil.