Abstract Background Agriculture in South America (SA) had a great expansion in the last decades and weed control changed accordingly with region and crop practices. Objective The objective of this review is to present the history of herbicide use and discuss the main changes in weed management in SA. Methods Herbicide use quantities were obtained from official institutions and commercial organizations in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay. Data were summarized per active ingredient, herbicide mode of action or crop. The evolution of the cultivated area of the main crops in each country, and the crop and weed management associated to it were considered to discuss the importance and the consequences of the main herbicides used. Results In 2019 the most used herbicides in Brazil were glyphosate, 2,4-D, atrazine, paraquat and diuron representing 62, 15, 7, 5 and 2% of the total amount used. In Argentina, the increasing selection of herbicide resistant populations (4 cases/year), resulted in utilization of older chemistries. Weed control in Uruguay is traditionally benefited from crop/pasture rotations but recently is also facing problems of continuous cropping systems. Agriculture in Chile is more diverse, but similar patterns and problems of herbicide use are present. Conclusions Intensification of agriculture, no-tillage, glyphosate resistant crops, and herbicide resistant weeds were the most important drivers of herbicide use changes in SA. Integrated weed management is unpostponable to provide sustainable increasing food production in SA.

Abstract: Background: Eragrostis plana is an invasive plant in native grassland areas associated with degradation of the Pampa biome. Selective control of E. plana is difficult due to its similarity to other grassland species. There is a lack of information about E. plana control using selective herbicide application equipment. Objective: The present study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a pressurize rope wick applicator for controlling the invasive plant E. plana as function of different salts of glyphosate, application volumes, and year seasons. Methods: The studies were carried out under field conditions and repeated. The first study evaluated glyphosate salts of isopropylamine, dimethylamine, monoammonium, diammonium, and potassium at doses of 720 and 1440 g ha-1 and clethodim at 60 and 120 g ha-1. The second study assessed application volumes of 8, 24, 40, and 56 L ha-1 using isopropylamine and potassium salts of glyphosate. Results: Glyphosate applied in summer was more effective at controlling E. plana, with less regrowth than glyphosate application in winter. The glyphosate diammonium was more effective at controlling E. plana than isopropylamine, dimethylamine, monoammonium, or potassium salt formulations at 1440 g ha-1. Application volume of glyphosate between 8 and 40 L ha-1 provided similar control of E. plana and pasture selectivity. Conclusions: Glyphosate applied with a rope wick selective applicator was effective in controlling E. plana clumps and was selective to grassland. The control efficacy varied as a function of glyphosate salts and year season, but not due to application volume of 8 and 40 L ha-1.