This paper aimed to evaluate the effect of soil humidity on Canavalia ensiformis and Stizolobium aterrimum capacity of remediating soil contaminated with tebuthiuron and trifloxysulfuron-sodium. The experiment was divided into two stages. In the first stage, soil at different levels of humidity were used, contaminated or not with herbicide, to evaluate C. ensiformis and S. aterrimum growth. Treatments consisted of a combination of tebuthiuron, trifloxysulfuron-sodium and herbicide absence, associated to four levels of soil water content (0.287, 0.358, 0.431 and 0.575 kg kg-1), arranged in a 3 x 4 factorial scheme, in a completely randomized design, with three replicates for each species. Trifloxysulfuron-sodium or tebuthiuron were applied on soil surface after preparing the substrate and filling the pots, and the species were sowed one day after that. At this stage, pots with same humidity level and under the same conditions, but without remediating plants, were used as control. After 60 days, plants were harvested to evaluate height and dry matter of ground tissue. All material was ground and incorporated into soil of their respective pots. At the second stage, the remediating capacity of C. ensiformis and S. aterrimum was evaluated. Treatments consisted of five humidity levels and five types of prior cultivation, arranged in a 4 x 5 factorial scheme, in a completely randomized design, with three replicates.Samples of 0.5 kg of soil were taken out from the pots previously used and placed in 0.5 L pots, where sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) was cultivated to trifloxysulfuron-sodium and soybean (Glycine max) to tebuthiuron. After 20 sowing days, plants were harvested to evaluate height, ground tissue dry matter and their intoxication level. C. ensiformis did not survive up to 60 days after sowing in tebuthiuron-contaminated soil, at any humidity level, and S. aterrimum survived when cultivated in soil between 0.287 and 0.358 kg kg-1 humidity. S. aterrimum was more efficient than C. ensiformis in soil decontamination with tebuthiuron. Sorghum and soybean grew better in soil contaminated with trifloxysulfuron-sodium or tebuthiuron, with prior cultivation, than in soil without prior cultivation. In general, remediation was not affected by humidity variation, with the effects on the development of remediating species being observed. C. ensiformis and S. aterrimum developed best in soil with humidity around 0.431 kg kg-1; however, at this level, tebuthiuron is more easily available for the soil solution.
degradation; humidity content; soil persistence; tebuthiuron; trifloxysulfuron-sodium
