Effect of weed interference in the production components of ‘Lucy Brown’ american lettuce

Abstract

One of the main challenges faced bylettuce producers is the interference of weeds whichaffectscrop development and productivity.The aim of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of programmed weeding on the growth and production of Lucy Brown American lettuce.The experiment was carried out between March and May 2017 at the Federal University of Roraima Cauamé campus, in Boa Vista, Roraima, Brazil. The experimental design used was randomized blocks with six treatments, four replications and four lettuce plants per experimental unit. The treatments tested were as follows: 100% weed control (100% WC); weed control 5 days after transplanting (WC 5 DAT); weed control 10 days after transplanting (WC 10 DAT); weed control 15 days after transplanting (WC 15 DAT); weed control 20 days after transplanting (WC 20 DAT) and 100% without weed control (100% WWC). The following variables were evaluated: shootheight, stem height, stem diameter, number of leaves, leaf length, leaf width, root length, shoot freshweight, total fresh weight, shoot dry weightand productivity. The ‘Lucy Brown’lettuce crop must be weed-freeafter 5 days of transplanting the seedlings to avoid productivitylosses. The lack of weed control in the cultivation of ‘Lucy Brown’ lettuce causes a 71.88% decrease in its productivity.