Non-Tolerant Rice Production after Using the Clearfield™ Rice System

The herbicides imazethapyr and imazapic used in the Clearfield rice system can persist in the soil and affect non-tolerant rice cultivars sown in rotation. The effect on rice plants can vary according to the cultivar and herbicide used in rotation. Thus, a field experiment was conducted to evaluate cultivar and herbicide options when growing non-tolerant rice after using Clearfield rice system. The experiment was installed in the 2006/07 growing season, in a lowland area located in Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Southern Brazil. The experiment was in a randomized block design with three replications in a factorial scheme. Factor A included two succession systems of Clearfield rice and non-Clearfield rice in the first three growing seasons (2003/04, 2004/05 and 2005/06): Succession 1 -two agricultural growing seasons using the Clearfield system with application of the herbicide mixture imazethapyr and imazapic (75 and 25 g a.i.. ha(-1)) and one growing season with non-tolerant rice, without application of imidazolinones; and Succession 2-three growing seasons using Clearfield system and herbicide application at the same rate specified previously. Factor B included rice cultivars used in the fourth year (BR IRGA 409, IRGA 417, IRGA 422 CL and BRS 7 "TAIM"). Factor C included different herbicides used during the fourth growing season (2006/07), bispyribac-sodium, clomazone + propanyl, cyhalofop-butyl, quinclorac, penoxsulam. Rice production after using the Clearfield system requires at least one year without herbicide application (imazethapyr and imazapic) to avoid carryover to non-tolerant rice and yield reduction. A 30% grain yield reduction is caused by herbicide carryover to non-tolerant rice cultivated in areas where the Clearfield system had been used for three years. No difference was found in the non-tolerant rice cultivars used in this experiment, as all were susceptible to herbicide carryover. No increased injury was observed in rice plants due to herbicide application on the non-tolerant rice cultivars cultivated in rotation. However, it must be emphasized that it is necessary to choose a non-ALS inhibiting herbicide to reduce the pressure of selecting weeds resistant or tolerant to these herbicides.