Effect of Purple Nutsedge (Cyperus rotundus) Population Densities on the Growth of Transplants of Three Papaya (Carica papaya) Cultivars

Abstract

Nursery experiments were conducted in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, to determine the effect of increasing population densities of purple nutsedge (Cyperus rotundus) on the growth of papaya (Carica papaya) transplants. Seeds of `Sunrise Solo', `Red Lady', and `Cartagena Ombligua' were separately sown in plastic 12 × 15-cm containers filled with a 1:1 mixture of sand and loamy soil. Viable purple nutsedge tubers were planted 5 cm apart from the papaya seeds. The purple nutsedge initial population densities were 0, 1, 2, 4, and 6 tubers per container. The crop and the weed were sown the same day and allowed to interfere during 6 weeks. Purple nutsedge density had a significant effect on the height, leaf area, and shoot dry weight of the three papaya cultivars. There was no significant difference in the response of the three papaya cultivars to purple nutsedge densities. In general, as purple nutsedge density increased, papaya growth decreased. Nutsedge interference caused papaya shoot dry weight losses of 15% at the density of one plant per container and 73% at six plants per container.