Suppression imposed by mesotrione to Brachiaria brizantha in crop-livestock system

Mesotrione is an important herbicide applied to corn, but little is known about the susceptibility of species, such as Brachiaria brizantha to this herbicide. The objective of this study was to evaluate the suppression imposed by mesotrione in Brachiaria brizantha, intercropped with maize. The trial was conducted in a randomized block design with four replications, corresponding to seven doses of mesotrione (0; 12; 24; 48; 96; 144 and 192 g ha-1), a control (corn without interference) and a treatment with beard grass grown as a single. Both crops were sown on the same day. The herbicide was applied at 20 days after emergence of the species. Mesotrione showed the greatest potential for plant toxicity in B. brizantha plants, when applied at a dose of 192 g ha-1. However, grass forage showed satisfactory tolerance to the herbicide, indicating potential use in crop-livestock systems. The inter-specific competition led to reductions in corn yield, and the best dose-response relationship to benefit both cultures was obtained by using 96 g ha-1 of mesotrione.