Abstract
ABSTRACT: This research aimed to study weed interference relationship on morphogenesis, yield, and greenhouse gas production potential of Urochloa ruziziensis under pasture renovation conditions. The experimental design was a randomized block design with four replications. Treatments consisted of seven coexistence periods: 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, and 90 days after emergence (DAE). The following morphological parameters were analyzed: number of tillers, number of leaves, photosynthetically active leaf blade biomass, fresh stem biomass, dead material biomass, and total dry biomass. In vitro analyses of methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) production were also carried out. The results were submitted to analysis of variance by the F-test, and the test of means was carried out by the Scott-Knott test at 5%. Biomass, CH4, and CO2 production of U. ruziziensis were modified with only 15 days of weed coexistence, with an effect even higher from 45 DAE. Therefore, weeds interfere with all morphological parameters, yield, and greenhouse gas production in the pasture establishment with the forage grass U. ruziziensis.
Highlights
Grasses of the genus Urochloa are widely adapted to climate and soil conditions characteristic of the Cerrado region, being used for pasture-fed cattle (Silva and Ferrari, 2012)
The genus Urochloa has been used as soil cover plants after harvesting summer crops
Despite the ability to grow in the dry season, the genus Urochloa may present a low production due to weed competition
Summary
Grasses of the genus Urochloa are widely adapted to climate and soil conditions characteristic of the Cerrado region, being used for pasture-fed cattle (Silva and Ferrari, 2012). The genus Urochloa has been used as soil cover plants after harvesting summer crops. This genus presents a good capacity of plant biomass production even under periods of water scarcity (Machado and Assis, 2010). Despite the ability to grow in the dry season, the genus Urochloa may present a low production due to weed competition. Ineffective weed control has a negative influence on Urochloa pasture production because the production of tillers, biomass, and other forage components are modified, resulting in a low nutritional quality of forage (Marchi et al, 2017)
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