Studies were conducted in 1996 through 1999 to: (1) evaluate the responses of one imidazolinone (IMI)-susceptible (S) and four -resistant (R1, R2, R3, and R4) smooth pigweed populations to various acetolactate synthase (ALS)-inhibiting herbicides, (2) determine the mechanism of resistance, and (3) evaluate the relative growth and competitiveness of each population. Field studies were conducted in 1996 near Marion, MD, in a field with a history of repeated imazaquin use. Smooth pigweed control with IMI herbicides was < 8 percent, but control with sulfonylurea (SU) herbicides ranged from 73 to 99 percent. Follow-up greenhouse studies were used to confirm IMI resistance in the Marion, MD smooth pigweed population (R4) as well as three others (R1, R2, and R3). R populations were 730- to 1350-fold more tolerant to imazethapyr than the S population. Based on resistance ratios, all R populations displayed low-level cross-resistance to chlorimuron and negative cross-resistance to thifensulfuron, pyrithiobac, and cloransulam-methyl with R2 being the most sensitive of the R populations to pyrithiobac and cloransulam-methyl. Absorption, translocation, and metabolism of ¹⁴C-cloransulam-methyl in S and R2 populations were generally similar. Three metabolites of cloransulam-methyl with ratio of front (Rf) values approximately 0.83, 0.65, and 0.45 were isolated. The metabolite with a 0.83 Rf value increased over time as the parent molecule decreased indicating that it plays a major role in cloransulam-methyl metabolism in smooth pigweed. The other metabolites did not change significantly over time and never represented more than 5 percent of the extracted radioactivity. The identity of these metabolites has not been determined. Using enzyme assays, it was determined that IMI resistance in R populations was due to an altered ALS that was no longer susceptible to inhibition by these herbicides. ALS from S, R1, and R2 populations responded similarly to chlorimuron and thifensulfuron, but reductions in enzyme activity by chlorimuron and thifensulfuron were significantly greater for R3 ALS than for S, R1 or R2 ALS. ALS from R2 and R3 was significantly more sensitive to inhibition by pyrithiobac compared to S ALS. Based on resistance ratios, R2 and R3 ALS were also more sensitive to inhibition by cloransulam-methyl than S ALS. Negative cross-resistance to thifensulfuron, pyrithiobac, and cloransulam-methyl in some R populations at the whole-plant level can be explained by increased sensitivity at the enzyme level. Under noncompetitive conditions in the greenhouse, S produced 17, 23, 25, and 44 percent more biomass than R1, R2, R3, and R4 populations, respectively. S plants were also taller than R plants 17 and 21 d after planting (DAP) and displayed a faster initial rate of leaf area increase compared to all R populations. The net assimilation rate of S was significantly higher than R2 and R3 populations 24 DAP. R3 and R4 populations had significantly less chlorophyll per g of plant tissue compared to S; therefore, reduced growth in some R populations compared to S may be linked to chlorosis that generally appears early in seedling development. Biomass production in the field under competitive conditions was similar for all populations using both monoculture and mixed populations. For this reason, the differences in growth observed in the greenhouse in the S population may not confer a competitive advantage over R populations in the field. / Ph. D.

Lentil is an important pulse crop in Saskatchewan. Weed control is central to lentil production due its poor competitive ability and the few herbicide options for use on conventional varieties. Imidazolinone tolerant lentil varieties have been developed to improve herbicidal weed control and crop safety. Two studies were conducted in 2006 and 2007 in Saskatchewan with the research objective of determining the optimal weed control timing and herbicide to maximize weed control and lentil yield. The first experiment investigated the critical period of weed control (CPWC) for lentil. The CPWC was realized by investigating two components; the duration of weed interference and the duration of the weed-free period which respectively determine the beginning and end of the CPWC. The crop remained weedy or weed-free from zero to eleven lentil nodes to investigate the durations of weed interference and weed-free period. There was an inverse relationship between weed biomass and lentil yield such that lentil yield was highest when weed biomass was minimal. The CPWC was found to commence at the five node stage and continue to the ten node stage. The second experiment investigated imazethapyr / imazamox, imazamox and metribuzin + sethoxydim applied at two application times to determine the best herbicide for the CPWC. The results indicated that imazethapyr / imazamox and imazamox applied at the six node stage resulted in the overall lowest weed biomass and highest lentil yield compared to application at the two node stage. In accordance with these results and the CPWC, imazethapyr / imazamox or imazamox should be applied at or before the five to six node stage to maximize lentil yield and minimize weed biomass.

Borage (Borago officinalis) is an annual herb plant for culinary and medicinal uses. Due to a high level of gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) in its seed oil and the health-related benefits of GLA, borage is commercially cultivated. However, a herbicide-resistant variety has not yet been developed for effective weed management in borage farming. Thus, this thesis aimed to create, identify and characterize ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) induced borage mutants for herbicide imidazolinone resistance. An EMS-mutagenized borage population was generated by using a series of concentrations of EMS to treat M1 seeds. After screening M2 borage plants with the herbicide, tolerant plants were selected, self-pollinated and grown to their maturity. The offsprings were subjected to herbicide screening again to confirm the phenotype, resulting in identification of two genetically stable imidazolinone-resistant lines. Two acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS) genes, AHAS1 and AHAS2, involved in the imidazolinone resistance were isolated and sequenced from both mutant (resistant) and wild type (susceptible) borage plants. Comparison of these AHAS sequences revealed that a single nucleotide substitution occurred in the AHAS1 resulting in an amino acid change from serine (S) in the susceptible plant to asparagine (N) in the first resistant line. The similar substitution was later found in the AHAS2 of the second resistant line. A KASP marker was developed for the AHAS1 mutation to differentiate the homozygous susceptible, homozygous and heterozygous resistant borage plants for the breeding purpose. The in vitro assay showed homozygous resistant borage containing the AHAS1 mutation could retain significantly higher AHAS activity than susceptible borage across different imazamox concentrations. The herbicide dose response test showed that the resistant line with the AHAS1 mutation was tolerant to four times the field applied concentration of the “Solo” herbicide.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Herbicides that present residual effect in the soil, preventing or reducing the emergence of weeds, are inputs of great importance to ensure the expected productivity of comercial crops. However, this residual can prejudice the next crops that do not have the tolerance to the active ingredient of these products and the longer they remain in the soil, the probability of leaching is higher, contaminating the environment. In view of the above, this doctorate thesis had as a goal evaluate the possibility of descontamination of rice cultivating soils with residual of the herbicides imazethapyr, imazapic and imazapyr, by the use of potential phytoremediator plants. The present study was divided in four chapters: 1) Phytoremediation in pots containing soil of irrigated rice with residual imidazolinone; 2) Imidazolinone degradation in rhizosphere of plants phytoremediator; 3 Efficiency of Vicia sativa in the remediation of soil contaminated with imazapyr + imazapic depending on soil type and 4) Use of plants in reducing the residual formulated mixtures of imazethapyr + imazapic and imazapyr + imazapic in codição field. Soybean, vetch, jack bean and consortium of white clover and birdsfoot trefoil, are plants that have the ability to remediate soil contaminated with herbicides belonging to the chemical group of the imidazolinone. The degradation of the herbicide imazethapyr, imazapyr and imazapic, is higher in vegetated soil than in bare soil, demonstrating phytoestimulator effect of these plant species under the existing microbiota in the rhizosphere of the same. Vetch is phytoremediation of soil contaminated with formulated mixture of imazapyr + imazapic even in different soil types. The herbicide imazapyr + imazapic causes greater residual effect that imazethapyr + imazapic, under field condition. . / Herbicidas que apresentam atividade residual no solo, impedindo ou reduzindo a emergência de plantas daninhas, são insumos de grande importância para garantir a produtividade esperada das culturas comerciais. Todavia, esse residual pode comprometer as culturas subsequentes que não possuem tolerância ao princípio ativo desses produtos e quanto mais tempo permanecerem no solo, maior será a probabilidade de sofrerem lixiviação, contaminado o ambiente. Em vista do exposto, essa tese teve por objetivo avaliar a possibilidade de descontaminação de solo de cultivo de arroz irrigado com residual dos herbicidas imazetapir, imazapique e imazapir, através da utilização de plantas potencialmente fitorremediadoras. O presente estudo foi dividido em quatro capítulos: 1) Fitorremediação em vasos contendo solo de cultivo de arroz irrigado com residual de imidazolinonas; 2) Degradação de imidazolinonas em solo rizosférico de plantas fitorremediadoras; 3) Eficiência de Vicia sativa na remediação de solo contaminado com imazapir + imazapique em função do tipo de solo e 4) Uso de plantas na redução do residual das misturas formuladas de imazetapir + imazapique e imazapir + imazapique em codição de campo. Soja, ervilhaca, feijão-de-porco e, consórcio de trevo branco e cornichão, são plantas que possuem capacidade de remediar solo contaminado com os herbicidas pertencentes ao grupo químico das imidazolinonas. A degradação dos herbicidas imazetapir, imazapique e imazapir é maior em solo vegetado do que em solo sem vegetação, demonstrando efeito fitoestimulador dessas espécies vegetais sob a microbiota existente na rizosfera das mesmas. A ervilhaca é fitorremediadora de solo contaminado com a mistura formulada de imazapir + imazapique, mesmo em diferentes tipos de solo. O herbicida imazapir + imazapique causa maior efeito residual que imazetapir + imazapique em condições de campo.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-08-20T13:25:43Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao_Gabriela_Fonseca.pdf: 1203937 bytes, checksum: 0779cafbd315bd99d44d8fbe5a6537c7 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-03-16 / The red rice (Oryza sativa) co-exists with the cultivated rice in commercial farmings, becoming one of the main limiting factors for the yield increase in this crop, since this weed competes for the same resources. The rice crop is one of the most important in the world, being the main nutritious source for more than half of the world´s population. Genes for resistance to herbicides have become the best option for the control of this weed. Herbicides that inhibit the ALS enzyme, such as those from the imidazolinone chemical group, are commonly used for weed control in many crops. These ALS inhibitors are currently used for the control of red rice, which is known as Clearfield® technology. This work aimed to study the morphological features that can assist in identifying Only® herbicide tolerance in hydroponic bioassays, and introgression of ALS inhibitor herbicide tolerance genes in cultivars through artificial hybridizations. The rice cultivars used were BRS Sinuelo CL and Puitá INTA CL as imidazolinone herbicide tolerant, and the BRS Pampa, BRS Querência, BRS Atalanta and BRS Fronteira, as sensitive. The variable insertion of the first leaf can be considered an appropriate candidate for study because it discriminates more effectively the responses of different genetic constitutions. Taking in account the doses and periods of development, it can be recommended for use as a morphological marker. The concentration of herbicide that allows better discrimination between tolerant and sensitive genotypes is 25μg L-1 as described in the methodology for this bioassay. The results of this study show that F2 hybrids resulting from crosses between cultivars carrying the allele for herbicide tolerance to the imidazolinone class and conventional rice cultivars, are feasible, enabling the establishment of populations with desirable agronomic characteristics of herbicidetolerant rice, with higher ability to fight the red rice. / O arroz vermelho (Oryza sativa) co-existe com o arroz cultivado em lavouras comerciais, sendo esse um dos principais entraves para o aumento da produtividade dessa cultura, já que essa invasora compete pelos mesmos recursos que as cultivares necessitam. A cultura do arroz é uma das mais importantes no mundo, considerada a principal fonte nutritiva para mais da metade da população mundial. Genes para resistência a herbicidas têm se tornado uma das opções mais utilizadas no mundo para o controle de invasoras, sendo que os herbicidas inibidores da enzima ALS, classe das imidazolinonas, são amplamente utilizados para o controle de plantas daninhas em diversas culturas. Esses inibidores de ALS são atualmente utilizados para o controle do arroz vermelho, sendo esta tecnologia denominada Clearfield®. Este trabalho objetivou o estudo de características morfológicas capazes de auxiliar na identificação de tolerância ao herbicida Only®, em bioensaio em condições hidropônicas, e a introgressão de genes de tolerância ao herbicida inibidor de ALS em cultivares, através de hibridações controladas. Foram utilizados as cultivares de arroz BRS Sinuelo CL e Puitá INTA CL como padrão tolerante aos herbicidas imidazolinonas, e as cultivares BRS Pampa, BRS Querência, BRS Fronteira e BRS Atalanta, como padrão sensível. A variável inserção da primeira folha pode ser considerada uma variável apropriada para estudos, pois discrimina de maneira mais eficiente as diferentes respostas das constituições genéticas frente às doses utilizadas e aos períodos de desenvolvimento, podendo ser indicada para ser utilizada como marcador morfológico. A concentração de herbicida que possibilita melhor discriminação entre genótipos tolerantes e sensíveis é 25μg L-1, conforme metodologia descrita para esse bioensaio. Os resultados desse estudo mostram que os híbridos F2, resultantes de cruzamentos entre cultivares portadores do alelo de tolerância ao herbicida da classe das imidazolinonas e cultivares de arroz irrigado convencionais, são viáveis, possibilitando o estabelecimento de populações de arroz irrigado tolerantes ao herbicida, com maior capacidade de combater o arroz vermelho e com características de interesse agronômico.

Submitted by Ubirajara Cruz (ubirajara.cruz@gmail.com) on 2017-03-23T13:37:04Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) dissertacao_anderson_feijo.pdf: 1385026 bytes, checksum: 5f73bbd78d6f039beba48ed42c0c433c (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Aline Batista (alinehb.ufpel@gmail.com) on 2017-03-27T20:47:58Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 dissertacao_anderson_feijo.pdf: 1385026 bytes, checksum: 5f73bbd78d6f039beba48ed42c0c433c (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-03-27T20:47:58Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 dissertacao_anderson_feijo.pdf: 1385026 bytes, checksum: 5f73bbd78d6f039beba48ed42c0c433c (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-09-09 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / No cultivo do arroz irrigado as plantas daninhas que apresentam maior importância são: o arroz daninho e capim-arroz. O controle químico é atualmente o principal método de controle destas plantas daninhas. A utilização de cultivares tolerantes aos imidazolinonas possibilita um controle seletivo. A mistura de herbicidas pode proporcionar inúmeras vantagens como redução das doses aplicadas e aumento do espectro de ação. Saflufenacil um herbicida relativamente novo apresenta potencial para ser aplicado em mistura com outros herbicidas. Além disso, ele é indicado para aplicação em pré-emergência com ação residual no solo. O objetivo deste estudo foi verificar a eficiência no controle de arroz daninho e capim-arroz; a seletividade ao arroz irrigado, com o uso de misturas em tanque entre imazapyr+imazapic e saflufenacil; avaliar as interações de misturas entre os dois herbicidas em plantas de arroz daninho, bem como, avaliar possíveis alterações no metabolismo antioxidante durante a germinação em função da aplicação de saflufenacil. Para atingir esses objetivos, foram conduzidos três experimentos; O experimento I foi realizado em campo, utilizou-se o cultivar Puitá INTA CL, os tratamentos foram compostos por aplicação isolada e em misturas de imazapyr+imazapic e saflufenacil. O experimento II foi realizado em casa de vegetação, onde foram aplicados imazapyr+imazapic e saflufenacil, isolados e em misturas, sendo que cada mistura foi constituída sempre por ao menos uma subdose dos herbicidas. Os resultados de controle, redução da estatura de plantas e matéria seca da parte aérea de arroz daninho, foram analisados pelo Método de Colby para verificar o efeito de interação. No experimento III, sementes de soja foram colocadas para germinar em presença de água ou solução herbicida de saflufenacil, e incubadas no escuro ou expostas à luz (fotoperíodo de 14h), seis dias após, avaliou-se as alterações no metabolismo antioxidante e quantificou-se o extravasamento de eletrólitos. Os resultados do experimento I mostraram que saflufenacil não interferiu no percentual de controle de imazapyr+imazapic em capim-arroz e arroz daninho, além de não acarretar perda de produtividade na cultura do arroz. A menor dose de imazapyr+imazapic (36,75+12,25 g e.a. ha-1), isolada e em mistura proporcionou baixo nível de controle destas duas plantas daninhas, reduzindo a produtividade. No experimento II foi constatado um maior número de misturas com efeito de aditividade na interação entre os dois herbicidas. Resultados do experimento III mostram que ocorreu um incremento na atividade da SOD na luz e no escuro em diferentes doses de saflufenacil, maior atividade da CAT na dose de 3,0 μM na luz e no escuro e incremento da APX com 3,0 μM na luz e 6,0 μM na luz e escuro. Os teores de H2O2 foram maiores com saflufenacil na presença de luz, MDA foi elevado apenas na dose de 6,0 μM sob luz. O maior extravasamento de eletrólitos foi observado nos tratamentos com saflufenacil expostos à luz. Os resultados mostram que saflufenacil pode ser utilizado em mistura com imazapyr+imazapic no arroz irrigado, podendo ampliar o espectro de controle de plantas daninhas da cultura sem causar perdas de produtividade. Na ausência de luz saflufenacil causa incremento na atividade do sistema antioxidante, mas não proporciona danos às membranas celulares. / In irrigated rice weeds with the greatest importance they are: weedy rice and barnyardgrass. Chemical control is currently the main method of control of these weeds. The use of cultivars tolerant to imidazolinones allows selective control. The mixture of herbicides can provide many advantages such as reduction of the amount applied and increased spectrum of action. Saflufenacil a relatively new herbicide has the potential to be applied in tank mixture with other herbicides. Moreover, it presents a recommendation for application in pre-emergence residual action in the soil. The objective of this study was to determine the effects on weedy rice control and barnyardgrass; and selectivity to rice by applying mixtures of imazapyr+imazapic with saflufenacil; evaluating the interactions between mixtures of two herbicides in weedy rice plants, as well as to assess possible changes in antioxidant metabolism during germination depending on the application saflufenacil. To achieve these goals, three experiments were conducted; The first experiment was carried out in the field, used the cultivar Puitá INTA CL, the treatments were applied alone and in mixtures of imazapyr + imazapic with saflufenacil. The second experiment was conducted in a greenhouse, where they were applied imazapyr+imazapic and saflufenacil, alone and in mixtures, each mixture was always consists of at least one sub-dose of herbicides. The results of control, reduced height and shoot dry mass of weedy rice were analyzed by Colby’s Method to check the effect of interaction. In the experiment III, soybean seeds were germinated in the presence of water or solution herbicide saflufenacil, and incubated in the dark or exposed to light (photoperiod of 14h), six days after was evaluated the changes in antioxidant metabolism and quantified the electrolyte leakage. The results of experiment I show that saflufenacil doesn’t interfere in the percentage of imazapyr + imazapic control in barnyardgrass and weedy rice, besides not causing loss of productivity in the rice crop. The lowest dose imazapic+imazapyr (36.75 + 12.25 g a.e. ha-1), alone and in mixture provided low level control of two weeds, reducing productivity. In experiment II was observed a greater number of mixtures additivity effect on the interaction between the two herbicides. Experiment III results show that there was an increase in the activity of SOD in the light and in the dark at different doses of saflufenacil, higher CAT activity at a dose of 3,0 μM in light and dark and increased APX with 3,0 μM in the light and 6,0 μM in light and dark. The H2O2 levels were higher with saflufenacil in the presence of light, MDA was raised only at the dose of 6,0 μM under light. The highest electrolyte leakage was observed in treatments with saflufenacil exposed to light. The results show that saflufenacil may be used in tank mixture with imazapyr+imazapic in irrigated rice, which can extend the weed control spectrum culture without causing productivity losses. In the absence of light saflufenacil causes increased activity of the antioxidant system, but doesn’t give damage to cell membranes.

Repeated use of acetolactate synthase (ALS)-inhibiting herbicides in recent years has resulted in the selection of 89 weed species resistant to these herbicides. One management strategy that can eliminate or slow the development of resistance is applying mixtures of herbicides with different modes of action. This research involved the characterization of ALS-inhibiting herbicide-resistant smooth pigweed (<i>Amaranthus hybridus</i> L.), as well as investigations on weed management programs in corn (<i>Zea mays</i> L.) utilizing mesotrione, a triketone, in mixtures with other herbicides. ALS-inhibiting herbicide-resistant smooth pigweed biotypes were collected from fields in Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, and Pennsylvania to evaluate response to ALS-inhibiting herbicides and to determine the molecular mechanisms of resistance. Sequencing of the ALS genes from these biotypes revealed two amino acid substitutions known to confer resistance, Ala₁₂₂ to Thr and Ser₆₅₃ to Asn, and one that has not been previously reported in plants, Asp₃₇₆ to Glu. The smooth pigweed biotype with an Asp₃₇₆ substitution displayed resistance to four classes of ALS-inhibiting herbicides that included imidazolinone (IMI), sulfonylurea (SU), pyrimidinylthiobenzoate (PTB), and triazolopyrimidine sulfonanilide (TP) chemistries. Transformation of this smooth pigweed ALS gene into <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i> confirmed that the Asp₃₇₆ substitution is responsible for the resistance. Other biotypes that had a substitution at Ala₁₂₂ exhibited resistance to an IMI herbicide, little to no resistance to SU herbicides, and increased sensitivity to a PTB and a TP herbicide, whereas, biotypes that had a substitution at Ser₆₅₃ exhibited high-level resistance to an IMI herbicide and lower resistance to PTB and SU herbicides. Experiments were also conducted to investigate the effectiveness of mesotrione in preemergence (PRE) and postemergence (POST) corn weed management programs in Virginia. Mesotrione applied PRE in mixtures with <i>S</i>-metolachlor and atrazine controlled common lambsquarters (<i>Chenopodium album</i> L.), smooth pigweed, common ragweed (<i>Ambrosia artemisiifolia</i> L.), and morningglory (<i>Ipomoea</i> spp.) species when a timely rainfall followed application. POST applications of mesotrione controlled common lambsquarters and smooth pigweed, but common ragweed and morningglory species were not always controlled. Common ragweed and morningglory species were controlled by mesotrione in a mixture with atrazine POST. Large crabgrass [<i>Digitaria sanguinalis</i> (L.) Scop.] and giant foxtail (<i>Setaria faberi</i> Herrm.) control was generally better when the ALS-inhibiting herbicides nicosulfuron plus rimsulfuron or rimsulfuron plus thifensulfuron plus atrazine were applied in a mixture with mesotrione. Mixtures of mesotrione with other POST herbicides in a total POST program produced corn yields comparable to standard PRE followed by POST weed management programs. / Ph. D.

Red rice (Oryza spp.) is one of the main limiting factors of rice yield (O. sativa L.) in the world and particularly in the Rio Grande do Sul (RS) state Brazil. The Clearfield® technology is a viable and efficient tool for controlling such harmful plant by using imidazolinone herbicides in tolerant cultivars. However, herbicides may persist on the soil after the crop season in amount that could affect the future use of the area with other crops as well as with non tolerant rice cultivars. The persistence of this kind of herbicides is highly dependent on the soil s environmental conditions. It increases in low pH soils with high organic matter (MO) content, and under anaerobic conditions. The main way of herbicide dissipation is the biodegradations; they can be photolysis or be lixiviated bellow the roots absorption region. Two field experiments were carried out on lowland soil in Santa Maria-RS during 2006/2007. The first experiment (Chapter II) had the objective of determining the effect of nine soil tillages (four on no till or minimum till seeping and five, on conventional tillage) on the phytotoxicity of non tolerant rice. The residual effect of the herbicide Only® affected plants stand, tillering, panicle number and plant heights of cultivar IRGA 417, but did not affect the grain yield. Soil plowing decreased herbicide activity on the soil surface (0-3 cm) without affecting the variables assayed. The second experiment (Chapter III) had the objective of determining the effect of two soil tillages (no till- PD- and conventional tillage-PC) on imazethapyr degradation and leaching. Higher degradation of imazethapyr was registered on PC than on PD. Imazethapyr leaching until 20 cm regardless the tillage system. In PC, a uniform distribution of imazethapyr was observed in the first 15 cm of soil while in PD there was a lower concentration of imazethapyr at 0-5 cm, which accumulated at 5-15 cm deep. / O arroz-vermelho (Oryza spp.) é um dos principais fatores limitantes da produtividade de grãos do arroz irrigado (O. sativa L.) no mundo e em particular do estado do Rio Grande do Sul (RS) Brasil. A tecnologia Clearfield® é uma ferramenta viável e eficiente para o controle desta planta daninha, mediante o uso de herbicidas da família das imidazolinonas junto com cultivares tolerantes a estes herbicidas. No entanto, os herbicidas podem permanecer no solo após o cultivo, em quantidade que pode comprometer a utilização futura da área com outras culturas, ou mesmo com cultivares de arroz não tolerante (NT). A permanência destes herbicidas no solo é muito dependente das condições ambientais e de solo, aumentando sua persistência em solos com pH baixos, com altos conteúdos de matéria orgânica (MO), argila e em condições de anaerobioses. A principal via de dissipação destes herbicidas é a microbiana, podendo também, sofrer fotólises ou serem lixiviados para fora da área de absorção das raízes. Foram conduzidos dois experimentos sob solo de várzea, em Santa Maria-RS no ano agrícola 2006/07. O primeiro experimento (Capítulo II) teve como objetivo determinar o efeito de nove manejos de solo (quatro sob plantio direto ou semidireto e cinco sob plantio convencional), na fitotoxicidade do arroz não tolerante. O efeito residual do herbicida Only® afetou o estande de plantas, perfilhamento, número de panículas e a estatura da cultivar não tolerante IRGA 417, porém não afetou a produtividade de grãos. O revolvimento do solo diminuiu a atividade do herbicida na camada superficial de solo (0-3 cm), embora não tenha afetado as variáveis analisadas. O segundo experimento (Capítulo III) teve como objetivo determinar o efeito de dois manejos de solo, plantio direto (PD) e plantio convencional (PC), na degradação e lixiviação do imazethapyr. Ocorreu maior degradação de imazethapyr no PC do que no PD. Imazethapyr lixiviou até 20 cm, independente do sistema de cultivo. No PC existe uma distribuição uniforme do imazethapyr nos primeiros 15 cm de solo e no PD existe menor concentração de imazethapyr de 0-5 cm, e acúmulo do herbicida de 5-15 cm de profundidade.