Abstract
ABSTRACT Corn intercropped with showy crotalaria allows better use of the agricultural year, having in the same period, economic return from grain yield and the benefits of the legume. The objective was to study the selectivity of the herbicides bentazon and nicosulfuron to C. spectabilis, the weed control and the corn development intercropping system. Two experiments were conducted in the field, one in late-season and the other one in regular growing season. The experimental design was the randomized block, with fourteen treatments and four replicates. Eight treatments with herbicides were studied: bentazon (720 e 960 g a.i. ha-1), nicosulfuron (16 e 48 g a.i. ha-1) and bentazon + nicosulfuron (720 + 16; 720 + 48; 960 + 16; 960 + 48 g a.i. ha-1). Moreover, six controls were maintained: sole corn and sole showy crotalaria (with and without weeds), corn and sunn hemp intercropped (with and without weeds). The herbicide bentazon isolated, in both dosages tested, was selective to C. spectabilis. Nicosulfuron in 48 g a.i. ha-1, isolated or in mixture with bentazon, promoved the best weed control. Corn affected the recoverability of showy crotalaria plants treated with herbicides. In intercrop of corn and C. spectabilis, both late and regular season had good results in corn yield, legume mass accumulation without the necessity of herbicides pulverization.
Highlights
Showy crotalaria (C. spectabilis) originates from the Indo-Malayan region but is distributed worldwide
To quantify the dry matter, the aerial parts of the showy crotalaria plants were collected in four areas of 0.19 m2 each, selected within the floor area of the plot, and the material was dried in a forced-air oven until a constant weight was reached
A significant effect of the treatments was observed in terms of the weed control and dry matter of the aerial part of the weeds in both the secondand first-crop experiments (Tables 1 and 2)
Summary
Showy crotalaria (C. spectabilis) originates from the Indo-Malayan region but is distributed worldwide It is an annual cycle legume, with slow initial growth and significant accumulation of dry mass and nitrogen, which varies according to the cultivation period owing to differences in photoperiod (CESAR et al, 2011; MATEUS; WUTKE, 2006). It is necessary to apply herbicides at adequate doses to inhibit the growth of Crotalaria and control weeds, without reducing the maize grain yield. This study was based on the hypothesis that spraying the herbicides bentazon and nicosulfuron at adequate doses in maize intercropped with C. spectabilis, prevents the competition from the latter, while allowing its recovery, and controls weeds without negatively affecting the maize yield. The objective was, to study the selectivity of the herbicides bentazon and nicosulfuron in Crotalaria, as well as the weed control and maize development in this intercropping system
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