Effect of Weed Density and Distance on Peanut Yield

• Grant number: 23/18227-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: December 01, 2024
• End date: July 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Crop Science
• Principal Investigator: Pedro Luis da Costa Aguiar Alves
• Grantee: Gabriela da Silva Leandro
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Jaboticabal. Jaboticabal , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Currently, one of the biggest obstacles faced by peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) producers is the presence of weeds in cultivation areas. These plants are voracious competitors, hindering the development of peanuts, a condition that negatively affects grain productivity and quality. Given this scenario, the present work aims to evaluate the area of influence that weeds exert on peanut cv. IAC OL3; They are: nabiça (Raphanus raphanistrum), apaga-fogo (Alternanthera tenella), capim braquiária (Uruchloa decumbens) and mucuna-preta (Mucuna pruriens). 40 50L pots with Dark Red Oxisol will be used, where the weeds and peanuts will be arranged following specific protocols to evaluate the intraspecific interaction through the density and distance of the weeds in relation to the peanut. Every fortnight after the emergence of the cultivar, plant height measurements will be taken, primary and secondary branches will be counted, and the diameters of the plants' main stem and secondary branches will be measured. Post-harvest, leaf area, number of leaves on the main stem and productivity traits will be evaluated: counting the number of pods per plant, number of grains per pod, mass of pods and grains. The dry biomass and mineral composition of peanuts will also be analyzed. The information will be subjected to analysis of variance using the F test and comparison of means using the Tukey test, considering a probability of 5%. The intention of this work is to obtain information that can be used to improve the management of these weeds and promote better crop performance in different growing conditions.