Fertiactyl® in mixture with glyphosate decreases herbicide absorption and translocation in coffee seedlings

The application of glyphosate to coffee crops can cause injuries to plants. Fertiactyl^® foliar fertilizer reduces injuries when mixed with glyphosate; however, it is important to establish which mechanisms are responsible for this protective action. This study aimed to evaluate the absorption and translocation of glyphosate applied separately and in mixture with Fertiactyl^® in coffee seedlings. Absorption and translocation were performed with ¹⁴C-glyphosate applied separately and in mixture with Fertiactyl^® at 0, 6, 12, 24, 48, 96, and 144 hours after application (HAA). Most of the ¹⁴C-glyphosate applied to coffee seedlings was not absorbed. The ¹⁴C-glyphosate applied separately had a higher absorption by coffee seedlings (6.5%) than in a mixture with Fertiactyl^® (2.7%) at 144 HAA. The maximum translocation of the ¹⁴C-glyphosate applied separately was 0.69% at 81.2 HAA and in mixture with Fertiactyl^® was 0.41% at 41.2 HAA. The treated leaves retained a higher percentage of ¹⁴C-glyphosate when applied separately (5.6% at 144 HAA) than in a mixture with Fertiactyl^® (2.2% at 144 HAA). Low translocation (<1%) for the rest of the plant shoots was observed both for the ¹⁴C-glyphosate applied separately and in combination with Fertiactyl^®. Therefore, Fertiactyl^® decreased the absorption and translocation of ¹⁴C-glyphosate in coffee seedlings.