Weed control in corn and weed sample size for growth evaluations

• Published in: Planta daninha 2014-03, Vol.32 (1), p.51-59
• Main Authors: Tavella, L.B., Silva, P.S.L., Oliveira, V.R., Fernandes, P.L.O., Sousa, R.P.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: corn yield; Gliricidia sepium; hoeing; integrated control; intercropping; PLANT SCIENCES; Zea mays
• ISSN: 0100-8358; 1806-9681; 0100-8358
• DOI: 10.1590/S0100-83582014000100006

The objectives of this study were to evaluate baby corn yield, green corn yield, and grain yield in corn cultivar BM 3061, with weed control achieved via a combination of hoeing and intercropping with gliricidia, and determine how sample size influences weed growth evaluation accuracy. A randomized block design with ten replicates was used. The cultivar was submitted to the following treatments: A = hoeings at 20 and 40 days after corn sowing (DACS), B = hoeing at 20 DACS + gliricidia sowing after hoeing, C = gliricidia sowing together with corn sowing + hoeing at 40 DACS, D = gliricidia sowing together with corn sowing, and E = no hoeing. Gliricidia was sown at a density of 30 viable seeds m-2. After harvesting the mature ears, the area of each plot was divided into eight sampling units measuring 1.2 m² each to evaluate weed growth (above-ground dry biomass). Treatment A provided the highest baby corn, green corn, and grain yields. Treatment B did not differ from treatment A with respect to the yield values for the three products, and was equivalent to treatment C for green corn yield, but was superior to C with regard to baby corn weight and grain yield. Treatments D and E provided similar yields and were inferior to the other treatments. Therefore, treatment B is a promising one. The relation between coefficient of experimental variation (CV) and sample size (S) to evaluate growth of the above-ground part of the weeds was given by the equation CV = 37.57 S-0.15, i.e., CV decreased as S increased. The optimal sample size indicated by this equation was 4.3 m². O presente trabalho teve como objetivos avaliar os rendimentos de minimilho, de milho-verde e de grãos da cultivar BM 3061, com o controle de plantas daninhas feito pela combinação de capinas + consorciação com gliricídia, e verificar como o tamanho da amostra influencia a precisão da avaliação do crescimento das plantas daninhas. Utilizou-se o delineamento de blocos casualizados com dez repetições. O cultivar foi submetido aos tratamentos: A = capinas aos 20 e 40 dias após a semeadura do milho (DASM); B = capina aos 20 DASM + semeadura de gliricídia após a capina; C = semeadura de gliricídia por ocasião da semeadura do milho + capina aos 40 DASM; D = semeadura da gliricídia por ocasião da semeadura do milho; e E = sem capinas. A gliricídia foi semeada na densidade de 30 sementes viáveis por m². Após a colheita das espigas maduras, a área da parcela foi dividida em oito unidades amostrais de 1,2 m²,