Interferência de Brachiaria Ruziziensis sobre plantas daninhas em sistema de consórcio com milho

Abstract

Regarding tropical forage plants, the specie Brachiaria ruziziensis are prominence for to be most acceptable for cattle when compared with others Brachiaria species, besides the excellent competitive ability with weeds. Then, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of Brachiaria ruziziensis density in intercropping with corn crop, about weeds control and weeds development in the crop-cattle integration system. The experiment was realized during the period between December/2007 to May/2008, in the experimental area of Escola Superior de Agricultura "Luiz de Queiroz", Piracicaba - SP. The treatment was composed in a factorial arrangement, by combination of four Brachiaria ruziziensis density (0, 10, 15 and 20 kg ha(-1)) and three weed species ((Ipomoea grandifolia, Digitaria horizontalis e Cenchrus echinatus), in intercropping with corn crop. The evaluations realized were: weed infestation (density m(-2)), the dry biomass (g plant(-1)) and leaf area (cm(2) plant(-1)). It was noted that Brachiaria ruziziensis reduced the all of weeds infestation evaluated. Also, it was checked that Digitaria horizontalis and Ipomoea grandifolia were the weeds with most difficult control.