Аннотация:Deleterious effects of herbicides on the photochemical apparatus of plants can be quantified by studying the quantum yield potential of photosystem II (Fv/Fm). Therefore, the objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of subdoses of the herbicide 2,4-D choline salt formulation on the quantum efficiency of the photosystem II of cotton plantsat different phenological stages. The study adopted a completely randomized experimental design with seven replications, and the treatments consisted of nine fractions of the average rate indicated on the 2,4-D choline salt herbicide label: 0 (control); 0.4275; 0.855; 1.71; 3.42; 8.55; 17.1; 34.2 and 68.4 g ae ha-1applied at phenological stages V4 or B4 of cotton plants. The plants were evaluated for the visual symptoms of injury and the emission kinetics of maximum chlorophyll a (Fv/Fm) fluorescence at 3, 7 and 14 days after application (DAA) of the herbicide. The values obtained were analyzed by the F test and the effects of the treatments were compared by the Scott-Knott test at 5% probability. The data obtained from visual injury and Fv/Fmwere also submitted to Pearson's correlation. The correlation between visual injury and Fv/Fmin the V4 and B4 stages is negative and significant for both years of conducting the experiment. The Fv/Fmvariable was not affected by the application of subdoses lower than 3.42 g aeha-1of 2,4-D saline choline in the V4 stage and below 1.71 g aeha-1in the B4 stage of the cotton plant.
