Yield of cotton/cowpea and sunflower/cowpea crop rotation systems during the reclamation process of a saline-sodic soil

The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of subsoiling, gypsum and organic matter associated with the cultivation of cotton, sunflower and cowpea in crop rotation, seeking the reclamation and use of a saline-sodic soil. The treatments were arranged in a randomized block design in split plots with four replications, during two crop cycles (2009/2010 and 2010/2011). The plots were formed by the treatments: T1. Subsoiling (S); T2. S + 20 Mg ha-1 of gypsum; T3. S + 40 Mg ha-1 of organic matter; T4. S + 10 Mg ha-1 of gypsum + 20 Mg ha-1 of organic matter; T5. S + 20 Mg ha-1 of gypsum + 40 Mg ha-1 of organic matter and the sub-plots consisted of the cotton-cowpea (C/CP) and sunflower-cowpea (S/CP) crop rotation. The use of gypsum and organic matter contributed to decrease the soil salinity and sodicity. Cotton was not affected by the treatments, while the sunflower crop was favored by the application of amendments only in the second production cycle. Higher yields of cowpea in T5 treatment, during the 2009/2010 cycle, are indicative that higher doses of gypsum and organic matter applied in this treatment accelerate the reclamation process. For other treatments with amendment application there was a beneficial effect for this crop only in the second cycle, when the values of productivity were similar to T5.

Phytosociology in agricultural areas submitted to distinct wintercropping management

Studies related to weed dynamics are essential for agricultural sustainability in tropical soils, as their interference can cause significant yield losses, especially in crops with lower competitive ability. This study aimed to assess the composition of weed communities in the third cropping season in areas submitted to distinct wintercroppings for two consecutive years. Evaluations were made in terms of species composition, level of infestation, and severity of occurrence of each weed species in relation to the others within the same area. The wintercropping management systems were: (1) Brachiaria ruziziensis; (2) corn intercropped with B. ruziziensis; (3) corn and (4) cowpea. Plant communities under these wintercrop systems were evaluated in the third year in terms of relative frequency, relative dominance, relative abundance and importance index for each species. Areas were also compared in terms of species composition by the Sorensen's similarity coefficient. Two years of distinct wintercrop managements were not enough to cause a significant shift in terms of weed composition and severity in a given area. There is also evidence that some weed species are more favored by specific crops, although the causes of this selective behavior are not fully explored in this article. The presence of B. ruziziensis, either alone or intercropped with corn, resulted in lower similarity coefficients when compared to areas where this species was not present. It is suggested that several mechanisms briefly discussed may be involved in the impact of the presence of B. ruziziensis on the weed community.

Weeds occurrence in areas submitted to distinct winter crops

In the Western Region of Brazil, it is usual to have two agricultural harvests in the same cropping season. Usually the first crop is soybean, followed by corn. In areas where corn is not planted due to a delayed harvest of soybean, farmers generally do not use winter crops. For these areas, the planting of winter oilseed crops aiming at the production of bio-fuels is one of the best alternatives; in addition, this would help in reducing the occurrence of weed species at the following summer crop. This study aimed to assessing the weed community in distinct winter crops post soybean crop, in terms of species composition, level of infestation and severity of occurrence. The following treatments were evaluated: agriculture under a no-till system with winter fallow, winter oilseed crops (crambe, radish, rapeseed) with no-till agriculture in the summer, and agriculture under a conventional tillage system with winter fallow. Phytosociological evaluations of all treatments were carried out 75 DAE of the oilseed crops, and the diversity indexes of Margalef, Menhinick, Simpson, and Shannon-Weiner were determined. Areas were also grouped by cluster analysis based on UPGMA applied at Jaccard's similarity matrix. Among the treatments with winter coverage, radish was the most efficient crop in suppressing the occurrence of weed species. The area with conventional tillage agriculture and winter fallow allowed for a higher occurrence of troublesome weeds. On the other hand, the area under fallow showed the highest absolute level of infestation. Overall, oilseed crops in the winter contribute to lower levels of infestation by weed species in these areas.

Variations in weed population densities, rate of change and community diversity in RR-soybeans and RR-maize strip crops under two herbicide strategies

Concerns about the sustainability of large-scale, direct-drilled RR-soybeans (Glycine max), and RR-maize (Zea mays) under monoculture in central Argentina are growing steadily. An experiment was conducted during three consecutive years to determine the effects of crops and systems (monocultures and strips) and herbicide strategy on weed density, population rate of change (l), b community diversity (H´), crop yields and Land Equivalent Ratio (LER). Not only crops but also crop systems differentially influenced weed densities along their growth and development. For crop harvests, weed densities increased in both maize crop systems as compared to in the one for soybeans, but the lowest increase occurred in soybean strips. Differences were leveled by both herbicide strategies, which achieved 73% efficacy during the critical periods in both crops. l of annual monocotyledonous increased, thus shifting the weed community composition. Species richness and H´ were not affected by crop systems, but both herbicide strategies, particularly POST, either in soybeans in monoculture or in maize strips, significantly enhanced H´. Crop yields significantly increased in the maize-strip system with POST (Year 1) or PRE (Years 2 and 3) strategies, thus increasing LER above 1. Herbicide Environmental Load treatments fall within very low or low field use rating.

Allelopathic effect of black mustard tissues and root exudates on some crops and weeds

Laboratory and greenhouse experiments were conducted to evaluate the phytotoxic effect of black mustard extracts and root exudates on two crops: Trifolium alexandrinum and Triticum aestivum, and two weeds: Phalaris paradoxa and Sisymbrium irio. The seeds were treated with aqueous and ethanolic extracts and chloroform for eight days, or subjected to root exudates of just harvested mustard in a greenhouse for five weeks. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to quantify phytotoxins from plant tissues. Seed germination of P. paradoxa was reduced with the lowest concentration of the different extracts. However, the aqueous extract at 4% completely curtailed the germination of all the target species. In general, plant extracts had a concentration-dependent reduction of seedling growth of the target species. However, the ethanolic extract, at the lowest concentration, has stimulated the shoot length of both T. alexandrinum and T. aestivum, and the root length of the former. Mustard root exudates inhibited emergence and growth of the target species throughout the experiment. Ferulic and syringic acids were the dominant allelochemicals found when HPLC was used.

Infestation of weed species in pre-planting of soybean in succession to winter crops

This study aimed to evaluate different crops and plant species planted after soybeans for one year, in terms of their potential to inhibit the occurrence of weed species. The following crops that were planted as second crop after soybeans were evaluated: (1) corn (Zea mays) planted at spacing of 90 cm between rows, intercropped with Brachiaria ruziziensis in the inter-rows; (2) sunflower (Helianthus annuus); (3) crambe (Crambe abyssinica); (4) radish (Raphanus sativus); (5) rapeseed (Brassica napus); and (6) winter fallow - no plantation after soybeans. Phytosociological characterization of weed species was carried out at the pre-planting of soybeans in the following cropping season. Estimations of relative abundance, relative frequence, relative dominance and Importance Value Index were made for each species present. Areas were also intra-characterized by the diversity coefficients of Simpson and modified Shannon-Weiner, and areas were compared using the Jaccard similarity coefficient for presence-only, by multivariate cluster analysis. In the short‑term (a single cropping season), cultivation of winter crops do contribute for lower occurrence of weed species at the pre-planting of soybeans on the subsequent cropping season. The suppressive effects depend both on the species grown in the winter and in the amount of straw left on the soil by these winter crops. Radish was more efficient in inhibiting the occurrence of weed species and rapeseed showed composition of infestation similar to that observed at the area under fallow.

Herbicide selectivity in alfalfa crops

This study aimed to determine the selectivity of herbicides applied in pre- and post-emergence for alfalfa crops. Three separate experiments were carried out under greenhouse conditions. The first experiment was arranged in a completely randomized design with three replications in a 4 x 11 + 1 factorial scheme , with eleven herbicides (bentazon, chlorimuron-ethyl, fomesafen, fluazifop-p-butyl, saflufenacil, imazethapyr, clethodim, nicosulfuron, imazaquin, haloxyfop-methyl and MSMA), four doses of each herbicide (0.5 D, 0.75 D, 1.0 D and 1.25 D, where D = recommended dose), plus an untreated control. The products were applied to alfalfa plants at the stage of 4 to 5 leaf pairs. In the second experiment, the effect of pre-emergent herbicides on early alfalfa development was observed through a completely randomized design with five replications in a 3 x 4 x 2 factorial scheme, with three herbicides (hexazinone, atrazine + simazine, S-metolachlor), four doses (0.5 D, 0.75 D, 1.0 D and 1.25 D), and two types of soil texture (loamy and clay soil), plus an untreated control. The third experiment evaluated the action of atrazine, 2,550 g ha-1; clomazone - 600 g ha-1; diclosulam - 25 g ha-1; diuron+hexazinone - 936 + 264 g ha-1 and diuron+hexazinone +sulfometuron - 1,386 + 391 + 33.35 g ha-1 on alfalfa sown at different times after herbicide application. The effects of the treatments on alfalfa were evaluated according to visual phytotoxicity symptoms, plant height, and biomass of roots and shoots. Among the herbicides applied at post-emergence, imazethapyr, clethodim, haloxyfop-p-methyl and MSMA were selective for alfalfa, while among those applied at pre-emergence, none were selective, regardless of soil texture. The results of the third experiment showed that the herbicides diclosulam, hexazinone + diuron and atrazine caused less toxicity in alfalfa plants.

Corn and soybean yields as affected by cover crops and herbicide timing under no-tillage system

To achieve better results in the no-tillage system (NTS), it is important to properly manage the cover crop prior to planting by using herbicides, usually glyphosate. The effect of glyphosate on plant coverage is slow, and plants take a few days to die completely. Thus, when applying the herbicide on the same day of planting soybean or corn, cover crops are still alive and standing, causing initial shading on seedlings of the crop and delaying its establishment. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of distinct cover crops and their timing of desiccation prior to planting soybean or corn, on crop yield and yield components. Two experiments were installed, one for soybean and another for corn. Each experiment consisted in combining three cover crops (Brachiaria brizantha, common bean or millet) chemically desiccated at two timings before planting the crop (15 or 0 days before planting) under no-tillage system (NTS). Experiments were installed in a completely randomized block design with five replications. Brachiaria brizantha produced the highest amount of biomass; common bean and millet as cover crops allowed higher soybean grain yields; herbicide application under common bean, millet and Brachiaria brizantha 15 days before planting soybean allowed higher crop grain yields; desiccation timing of common bean did not affect corn grain yield; Brachiaria brizantha should be desiccated 15 days before planting corn to allow maximum grain yield; when millet was used as a cover crop, glyphosate application at planting of corn allowed the highest grain yield.

Competition periods of crabgrass with rice and soybean crops

Determining the periods of weed competition with crops helps the producer to choose the most appropriate time to use weed control practices. This strategy allows for the reduction of the number of herbicide applications, reducing costs and the environmental impact of pesticides. The objectives were to determine the period before the interference (PBI) of crabgrass (Digitaria ciliaris) competing with flooded rice, the critical period of interference prevention (CPIP) of crabgrass with soybean and the effects of competition on the grains yield and their components. Experiments were conducted with the coexistence of BRS Querência rice cultivar with crabgrass, for periods of 0, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, and 110 days after emergency (DAE) and Fundacep 53RR soybean cultivar, whose periods of coexistence and control of crabgrass were 0, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, and 156 DAE. Rice can grow with crabgrass infestation until 18 DAE, while soybean should remain free from the presence of crabgrass in the period between 23 and 50 DAE. The grain yield and its components, in the crops studied, are affected when grown with crabgrass.

Effect of selectivity of herbicides and plant growth regulators used in sugarcane crops on immature stages of Trichogramma galloi (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae)

Herbicides and plant growth regulators are often used in sugarcane management. However, the use of non-selective pesticides can cause adverse effects on the efficiency of beneficial insects in integrated pest management. Within this context, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of such products on the immature stages of the parasitoid Trichogramma galloi. Eggs of Diatraea saccharalis containing the parasitoid at the egg-larva stage and at the prepupal and pupal stages were immersed in test solutions of the following pesticides (maximum recommended doses for sugarcane): herbicides clomazone and diuron + hexazinone, and plant growth regulators trinexapac-ethyl and sulfometuron-methyl. The biological properties evaluated were emergence (F1 and F2) and number of eggs parasitized by T. galloi (F1). The products were classified according to percentage of reduction in emergence and parasitism: harmless (<30%), slightly harmful (30-79%), moderately harmful (80-99%) and harmful (>99%). The pesticides evaluated were considered to be harmless or slightly harmful to immature T. galloi and, thus, their use should be preferred for preserving this parasitoid species in sugarcane management programs.

Environmental fate of S-Metolachlor: a review

S-metolachlor is a preemergent herbicide used for the control of annual grasses and small-seeded broadleaf weeds in more than 70 agricultural crops worldwide. Recently, Smetolachlor has been used to control imidazolinone-resistant red rice in rice-soybean rotation in lowland environments of the Southern Brazil. However, limited information concerning the environmental fate of S-metolachlor in lowland soil is available in the literature. Thus, this review was designed to describe the major transport and dissipation processes of Smetolachlor in attempting to improve weed management programs used in rice-soybean rotation and mitigate environmental contamination of lowland areas.

Soil microorganisms and their role in the interactions between weeds and crops

The competition between weeds and crops is a topic of great interest, since this interaction can cause heavy losses in agriculture. Despite the existence of some studies on this subject, little is known about the importance of soil microorganisms in the modulation of weed-crop interactions. Plants compete for water and nutrients in the soil and the ability of a given species to use the available resources may be directly affected by the presence of some microbial groups commonly found in the soil. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are able to associate with plant roots and affect the ability of different species to absorb water and nutrients from the soil, promoting changes in plant growth. Other groups may promote positive or negative changes in plant growth, depending on the identity of the microbial and plant partners involved in the different interactions, changing the competitive ability of a given species. Recent studies have shown that weeds are able to associate with mycorrhizal fungi in agricultural environments, and root colonization by these fungi is affected by the presence of other weeds or crops species. In addition, weeds tend to have positive interactions with soil microorganisms while cultures may have neutral or negative interactions. Competition between weeds and crops promotes changes in the soil microbial community, which becomes different from that observed in monocultures, thus affecting the competitive ability of plants. When grown in competition, weeds and crops have different behaviors related to soil microorganisms, and the weeds seem to show greater dependence on associations with members of the soil microbiota to increase growth. These data demonstrate the importance of soil microorganisms in the modulation of the interactions between weeds and crops in agricultural environments. New perspectives and hypotheses are presented to guide future research in this area.

Carryover of Imazethapyr + Imazapic on Ryegrass and Non-tolerant Rice as Affected by Thickness of Soil Profile

Herbicides used in Clearfield(r) rice system may persist in the environment, damaging non-tolerant crops sown in succession and/or rotation. These damages vary according to soil characteristics, climate and soil management. The thickness of the soil profile may affect carryover effect; deeper soils may allow these molecules to leach, reaching areas below the roots absorption zone. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the thickness of soil profile in the carryover of imazethapyr + imazapic on ryegrass and non-tolerant rice, sown in succession and rotation to rice, respectively. Lysimeters of different thicknesses (15, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 65 cm) were constructed, where 1 L ha-1 of the imazethapyr + imazapic formulated mixture was applied in tolerant rice. Firstly, imidazolinone-tolerant rice was planted, followed by ryegrass and non-tolerant rice in succession and rotation, respectively. Herbicide injury, height reduction and dry weight of non-tolerant species were assessed. There was no visual symptoms of herbicide injury on ryegrass sown 128 days after the herbicide application; however it causes dry weight mass reduction of plants. The herbicides persist in the soil and cause injury in non-tolerant rice, sown 280 days after application, and the deeper the soil profile, the lower the herbicides injury on irrigated rice.

CHEMICAL CONTROL OF WHITE CLOVER IN SOYBEAN CROPS

ABSTRACTWhite clover is tolerant to many herbicides, making difficult a chemical control of this species during soybean crop establishments. The objective of this research was to select herbicides applied postemergence to control white clover in soybean and know the effects of this control on soybean yield. Seven herbicides were assessed, applied postemergence, with or without sequential application of glyphosate, and two control treatments (no control and total control of white clover). Glyphosate (with two sequential applications), fomesafen (with a sequential application of glyphosate), chlorimuron-ethyl and lactofen have shown a satisfactory control of white clover (above 80%). The lower control efficiency has resulted in lower production of soybeans.

APPLICATION HEIGHT IN HERBICIDES EFFICIENCY IN BEAN CROPS

ABSTRACTInadequate herbicide application can result in failures in weed control and/or poisoning of the crops, resulting in yield losses. In this research were assessed the effects of the sprayer nozzle boom height in the distribution of the spray solution for weed control, influencing intoxication of beans and crop yield. Experiments were conducted in laboratory and field conditions. In laboratory, the performance of flat spray tip TT 11002 was assessed at heights 0.20, 0.30, 0.40 and 0.50 meters with respect to the target surface. In the field the same heights were assessed in applications of herbicides fomesafen, fluazifop-P-butyl and fomesafen + fluazifop-P-butyl. There was an inverse relationship between the height of the spray boom and the coefficients of variation of the patterns. The mixture better efficiency in a tank of fluazifop-P-butyl + fomesafen was obtained with the height of 0.50 m from the target. This treatment resulted in better weed control, lower poisoning of the bean plants and better crop yield rates.