Abstract
ABSTRACT The establishment of commercial crops in succession to winter cover crops that leaves a dense straw layer provides significantly suppression of weeds. The objective of this work was to evaluate the suppressive potential of winter cover crops on weed infestation in maize and its effect on the yield of the maize sown in succession. The experiment was conducted in the 2012/2013 crop season, in an area of the UFSM Campus Frederico Westphalen, State of Rio Grande do Sul. Four different species of cover crops (black oat, ryegrass, vetch and forage radish) were seeded and a fallow area was used as control. Evaluations to quantify the dry matter and chemical desiccation were performed at the full flowering period of the cover crops. Maize was sown in no-tillage system, in succession to the cover crops. The incidence and shoot dry matter of weeds (g 0.25 m-2) was evaluated 15 days after the maize emergence. The main weed species in the area were: morning-glory (Ipomoea grandifolia), wild poinsettia (Euphorbia heterophylla), large crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis) and purple nutsedge (Cyperus rotundus). In general, vetch and ryegrass were the winter cover crops that better suppressed the weeds evaluated. The best maize yield was found in the area previously covered with ryegrass, inferring a relation between the cover crop and suppression of weeds and crop yield.
Highlights
The establishment of commercial crops in succession to winter cover crops that leaves a dense straw layer provides significantly suppression of weeds
The reduction of maize productivity due to weeds is related to the weed species that exist in the area, its density, cultural stage in which there is competition and climate and soil conditions (VARGAS; PEIXOTO; ROMAN, 2006)
A randomized strip-plot experimental design was used with four replications with treatments consisting of four cover crops that were seeded in strips and a fallow area was used as control
Summary
The establishment of commercial crops in succession to winter cover crops that leaves a dense straw layer provides significantly suppression of weeds. The objective of this work was to evaluate the suppressive potential of winter cover crops on weed infestation in maize and its effect on the yield of the maize sown in succession. Vetch and ryegrass were the winter cover crops that better suppressed the weeds evaluated. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o potencial supressor de coberturas de inverno sobre a incidência inicial de plantas daninhas na cultura do milho e seu efeito na produtividade da cultura semeada em sucessão. Yield losses caused by the presence of weeds in maize crops range from 10 to 80% (VARGAS; PEIXOTO; ROMAN, 2006). The reduction of maize productivity due to weeds is related to the weed species that exist in the area, its density, cultural stage in which there is competition and climate and soil conditions (VARGAS; PEIXOTO; ROMAN, 2006). The period of coexistence between the weeds and the crop completely changes the competitiveness of these weed species, which has greater impact on early development stages of maize (KARAM et al, 2010)
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