Use of pendimethalin and trifluralin on rice/brachiaria intercroping system

Abstract

Rice is commonly used in degraded pasture area renovation. In this process, the rice is set up simultaneously with the forage plants, which increases the difficulty to control post-emerged weeds. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate rice crop development intercropped with Urochloa under the herbicides pendimethalin and trifluralin application. The experimental design used was a 2x3 factorial composed of 1) absence or 2) presence of the herbicides pre-plant incorporated (PPI) x 1) control (no additional herbicides); 2) pendimethalin and 3) trifluralin. For the intercrop with rice, two forage grass were used, Urochloa ruziziensis and U. brizantha. The rice was sowed on the same day as the application of the herbicide. The control level determination was performed by counting the remaining weeds. In the rice crop, were evaluated: tiller number, viable panicle, and grain yield. In the forage grass, was evaluated shoot dry mass yield. An interaction between herbicide application and incorporation was observed. On weed the joyweed (Alternanthera tenella) control was affected by treatments, under herbicide incorporation, the weed was better controlled. Thus, the improved control provided better conditions for shoot dry weight biomass production. The highest rice yield was observed under intercrop with U. ruziziensi and pendimethalin application. The trifluralin incorporation decreased the shoot biomass of the forage grass plants. The use of pre-emergence herbicides provide weed control and increased rice yield without reducing the grass dry weight and not affecting the intercropping system.