Biological characteristics, competition and herbicide susceptibility of weeds that occur on substrates for citrus nursery production

Author(s)

André Siqueira Rodrigues Alves

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: Piracicaba.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALA/BC)
• Defense date: 2007-10-22

Examining board members

Ricardo Victoria Filho; Pedro Jacob Christoffoleti; Gerson Augusto Gelmini

• Advisor: Ricardo Victoria Filho

Abstract

The Brazilian citrus production is considered the most competitive in the world mainly because of the excellent conditions that the producers have, with emphasis to the State of São Paulo, the world's largest producer of concentrated orange juice. Despite this, the characteristics of this branch of the agribuisiness are favorable to the proliferation of pests and diseases. Recently, the citrus production, especially the nursery production, has suffered significant changes. The CVC, a disease caused by the Xyllella fastidiosa bacteria has forced the young tree production to be conducted in a protected environment since January 1993. The young citrus tree production has always been considered a very important activity for the development of the citrus culture. A good young tree can be considered one of the bases of the citrus production just as well as a bad young tree can be the factor that makes the business non profitable. In this context, the present study has the objective to analyze the biological characteristics of the two main weed species (Oxalis corniculata L. and Cardamine bonariensis Pers.) that occur in the citrus nursery production systems, verifying the ideal conditions in which their germination takes place, their presence in substrates and its primary material, the efficiency of the bark compost in their control, evaluate the application of preemergence herbicides on the substrate used in the nursery production and if the presence of O. orniculata affects the development of the young citrus tree. The results indicate that for O. corniculata the constant temperatures of 15 and 20°C promoted the highest germination indexes and the exposure of seeds to a constant temperature of 20 °C led to the highest levels of GSI. In both cases the seeds where submitted to the presence of light. For C. bonariensis the alternating temperatures 20/30 and 20/35 °C promoted the highest germination indexes and alternating temperature 20/30 °C promoted the highest levels of GSI. In both cases the seeds where submitted to the presence of light. The samples of the primary material of the substrate did not present contamination with weed seeds, detected through weed plant germination. The bark compost process is capable of invalidating the sedds of O. corniculata, C. bonariensis, Portulaca oleraceae and Digitaria spp and Cyprus rotundus tubers in a period of 30 days. In reference to the experiment conducted in this study, the use of the herbicides oxyfluorfen, flumioxazin, ametryn and oxadiazon did not affect de development of the root stock 'limoeiro-cravo? in any of the doses, and after 80 days of the transplant of the root stock the herbicide oxyfluorfen and oxadiazon presents good control indexes for O.corniculta. The presence of O. corniculata in the citrus nursery containers affected the development of the young trees, especially the height of the rootstock and the dry mass of the graft; it doesn't interfere with the development of the stem diameter and of the dry mass of the rootstock, of the roots our the total dry mass of the young tree. The critical period of competition extends it self from 52 to 69 DAT considering 2,5 % of acceptable lost. (AU)