Glyphosate is a nonselective herbicide of systemic action that inhibits the enzyme 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase, thus compromising amino acid production and consequently the growth and development of susceptible plants. The objective of this study was to evaluate the hormetic effect of glyphosate on the morphology, physiology, and biochemistry of coffee plants. Coffee seedlings (Coffea arabica cv Catuaí Vermelho IAC-144) were transplanted into pots filled with a mixture of soil and substrate and subjected to ten doses of glyphosate: 0, 11.25, 22.5, 45, 90, 180, 360, 720, 1440, and 2880 g acid equivalent (ae) ha⁻¹. Evaluations were performed using the morphological, physiological, and biochemical variables. Data analysis for the confirmation of hormesis occurred with the application of mathematical models. The hormetic effect of glyphosate on coffee plant morphology was determined by the variables plant height, number of leaves, leaf area, and leaf, stem, and total dry mass. Doses from 14.5 to 30 g ae ha⁻¹ caused the highest stimulation. In the physiological analyses, the highest stimulation was observed upon CO₂ assimilation, transpiration, stomatal conductance, carboxylation efficiency, intrinsic water use efficiency, electron transport rate, and photochemical efficiency of photosystem II at doses ranging from 4.4 to 55 g ae ha⁻¹. The biochemical analyses revealed significant increases in the concentrations of quinic acid, salicylic acid, caffeic acid, and coumaric acid, with maximum stimulation at doses between 3 and 140 g ae ha⁻¹. Thus, the application of low doses of glyphosate has positive effects on the morphology, physiology, and biochemistry of coffee plants.

In Brazil, some populations of Conyza bonariensis and C. canadensis are glyphosate resistant and there are populations of C. sumatrensis (Sumatran fleabane) presenting multiple resistance to both glyphosate and chlorimuron. During the 2014/2015 and 2015/2016 seasons, growers reported failures to control Sumatran fleabane with paraquat. This study investigated the potential of paraquat resistant Sumatran fleabane populations in Paraná state, Brazil. Populations with suspected paraquat resistance were tested in the field in 2016 season. In 2017, seeds from these populations were collected, sown and grown in a greenhouse. Paraquat dose-response curve experiments were performed in Mogi Mirim, SP; Londrina, PR and Palotina, PR using doses of 0, 50, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1,600 and 3,200 g ha-1, following all standard criteria for confirmation of weed resistance cases. Percentage control was assessed at 3, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days after application and data were fitted to a nonlinear, log-logistic model, and dose response curves were generated. The results of this study confirmed significant levels of resistance of Sumatran fleabane biotypes to paraquat with resistance factors between 3,57 to 34,29. Therefore, the first case of C. sumatrensis resistance to paraquat was confirmed in biotypes from the western area of Paraná state, Brazil.

Dicamba is a herbicide with a moderate volatility profile. Such volatility behavior can be significantly diminished with formulation technology and volatilization reducers. The objective of this study was to quantify the volatility potential of dicamba diglycolamine salt (DGA) in a standalone application or in tank mixture with glyphosate (potassium salt) (GK), with and without volatilization reducer (acetic acid—VaporGrip^®) from different surfaces. The combination of these products was applied on four different surfaces (glass slides, corn straw, and dry and moist sandy soil) with three replications, and the experiment was duplicated. The application was performed indoors with an automated sprayer. After application, targets were positioned in cartridges containing two filters in series. Cartridges were placed in a vapor collection system that consisted of a chromatographic oven with constant temperature of 40 °C attached to a vacuum pump for 24 h. After this period, liquid samples were obtained from an extraction procedure of filters and surfaces, which corresponded to the volatilized and deposited portions of the herbicides, respectively. The samples were analyzed by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The use of this method provided a rapid and consistent evaluation, in which the treated surface exerts a direct influence on the amount of volatilized dicamba. The mixture of dicamba and glyphosate solutions exhibited different volatility profiles as a function of the treated surfaces. The DGA applied alone had the largest level of volatility when applied on moist soil and the lowest level of volatility in dry soil and straw. The DGA with GK had volatilities similar in dry soil, wet soil and straw. The volatility reducer in the tank mixture was effective in reducing DGA dicamba volatilization, regardless of the sprayed surface and the tank mixture, making the application of dicamba safer from the volatilization standpoint.

Control of Conyza spp. prior to soybean sowing has faced difficulties because of the resistance cases in Brazil, hence new herbicides as halauxifen-methyl + diclosulam are important to manage this specie. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of the herbicide halauxifen-methyl + diclosulam applied at pre-planting of soybean. The experiments were set up in three locations in Paraná State, Brazil, in the 2015/2016 season. The herbicide halauxifen-methyl + diclosulam was associated with glyphosate and compared to other commercial herbicide to Conyza spp. control. The application occurred 15 days before soybean sowing, in plants of Conyza spp. with an average height of 20-35 cm in the three areas. None of the treatments promoted Conyza spp. control above 90%, when soybean was at the V1 stage; however, the findings showed that halauxifen-methyl + diclosulam promoted better control in comparison to the other treatments. The control reached >90% at V3 soybean development stage, in which treatments containing glyphosate + halauxifen-methyl + diclosulam were more effective than the other treatments. In addition, treatments with glyphosate + halauxifen-methyl + diclosulam decreased dry matter content of Conyza spp. between 87 and 93%, depending on the location, when compared to the control. The burndown treatment to Conyza spp. with glyphosate + halauxifen-methyl + diclosulam did not decrease soybean yield, and it was always higher than the untreated check.

Brazil, the world’s largest soybean producer, owes its success to the cultivation of glyphosate-resistant (GR) cultivars. However, the soybean yields lag behind those obtained in areas managed for high productivity. Glyphosate-induced hormesis holds promise for increasing crop yields, but the potential evolution of resistance in certain weed species poses a challenge to foliar applications under field conditions. This study assessed the effects of a hormesis-inducing glyphosate dose [90 g acid equivalent (ae) ha⁻¹] on the agronomic characteristics and yield of four GR soybean cultivars. The evaluation was conducted in field settings across various Brazilian locations, considering foliar, seed, and seed + foliar treatments. The results showed variations in dry mass, root nodules, nutrient composition, plant height, pods, and yield, primarily influenced by environmental conditions, soil quality, and, ultimately, the interaction between GR cultivars and treatments. Total dry mass consistently increased with glyphosate, with seed and seed + foliar treatments showing the most substantial increases (7–21%). All three treatments increased nodulation by up to 36% across locations and cultivars, with seed + foliar treatment causing notable increases in nodule dry mass (up to 56%), followed by seed treatment (41%). Nutrient composition, especially for N, P, Br, and Fe, displayed location-dependent variations. Plant height varied among locations and cultivars, with minimal differences between treatments. Glyphosate treatments increased pod numbers (10 to 35%) and yields (11 to 42%) of soybean in seed and seed + foliar treatments. The findings highlight the potential of glyphosate hormesis as a viable tool for improving yields of GR soybean cultivars at the field level. However, the extent of benefits depends on the agronomic conditions of location, choice of cultivars, and herbicide application method.