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| Author(s): |
Rafael Vivian
Total Authors: 1
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| Document type: | Doctoral Thesis |
| Press: | Piracicaba. |
| Institution: | Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALA/BC) |
| Defense date: | 2009-03-26 |
| Examining board members: |
Durval Dourado Neto;
Decio Karam;
Ricardo Ferraz de Oliveira;
Antonio Alberto da Silva;
Ricardo Victoria Filho
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| Advisor: | Durval Dourado Neto |
| Field of knowledge: | Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy |
| Indexed in: | Banco de Dados Bibliográficos da USP-DEDALUS; Biblioteca Digital de Teses e Dissertações - USP |
| Location: | Universidade de São Paulo. Biblioteca da Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz; t633.34 94161; V858c |
| Abstract | |
Complexity of factors that define competition between plants has been questioned by many researchers searching to define the ability for mutual development and species adjustment to the most distinct environments. However, with herbicides use increase, weeds researches no longer focus on ecophysiological characteristics of species rather than forms and delimitation of period control. Through this study, competitiveness features of three weed species (Alternanthera tenella, Tridax procumbens L. and Digitaria ciliaris (Retz.) Koel) and soybean (Glycine max L. Merrill) was evaluated, including changes of each species, monoculture or in competition, when exposed to brief water stress (WS). The study was split up into three experiments carried out in a growth chamber under light, temperature and relative humidity control. Plants were grown in pots of 4 liters and fertirrigated daily with water content control by weighing gravimetric method. WS has been established between the 20th and 40th days after seedlings transplanting. For each experiment, substitutive series system was used for evaluation of intra and interspecific species competition, which two plants per pot was kept. Evaluations were at 20, 35, 50, 70 and 90 days after each experiment, verifying photoassimilates partition of roots, stems, leaves and fruits, as well as its height and leaf area. Gas exchange was also evaluated by portable equipment, including net photosynthesis (Pn), respiration (R), transpiration (E) and stomatal conductance (gs) of each period, with evaluation of light saturation curve response. It was included also nitrate reductase (NR) analysis in leaves to compare the enzyme activity under WS conditions. Nutrient assessments were performed at 50 days in order to compare total amount extracted from each species. Results show distinct competitive effects among species, mainly to WS plants. It was verified greater intraspecific competition (P <0.05) to soybean and less competitive effect of crop with weeds when grown-up under WS conditions. The analysis show greater tolerance to low water content at most weeds evaluated, especially for A. tenella. Water stress was also significant at FL reduction of most experiments, including drop off on Leaf area duration and water use efficiency. NR activity was higher (P <0.05) for soybean in relation to other species and periods, indicating high nitrogen metabolic activity. NR tolerance to WS has also been emphasized in enzyme analysis, but it has not happened to all weeds. WS effect also interfered in phosphorus, potassium and magnesium accumulation for A. tenella. In T. procumbens study, there was potassium and magnesium changes in leaves and stems levels, respectively, under WS setting. Despite of high nutrients levels in weeds, total content up taken from soil was lower in relation to soybean, due to total dry matter differences. However, D. ciliaris showed higher potassium and magnesium concentrations at leaves, accumulating comparable total nutrients levels of soybean. Among weeds evaluated, D. ciliaris proved to be highly competitive according Pn and total drymatter, including probably allelopathic effect on the crop with WS conditions. Considering all results, it is assumed that competitive effect is extremely complex and WS can completely change competitive characteristics between species, although it is difficult to distinguish this from others environment factors. Through that, further studies are oriented towards this field development. (AU) | |