Selectivity of oxyfluorfen in pre transplant of broccoli

As most vegetables, broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) suffers great loss of productivity in the presence of weeds; an appropriate weed management being necessary. The objective of this study was to evaluate the selectivity of oxyfluorfen herbicide applied in pre transplant of broccoli, hybrid Avenger, on different transplantation periods. The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse, in Universidade de Caxias do Sul, situated in Vacaria, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, from August to October 2012. The experimental design was completely randomized in a factorial 11x2 with three replications. The factor A was composed of 11 periods of transplantation (0 to 10 days after application of the product) and the B with and without herbicide (3 L/ha). We evaluated visual symptoms of phytotoxicity in plants, plant height, weight of fresh mass of shoots and dry weight of shoots and root. Plant material was collected from all treatments and analyzed 30 days after transplantation. The herbicide oxyfluorfen does not cause phytotoxic effects on broccoli, hybrid Avenger, when applied to soil in pots, under pre-transplanting.