Weed Interference in Eggplant Crops

Abstract

-Uncontrolled weed growth interferes with the growth eggplants and crop yields. To control weeds, the main weed species must be identified in crop growing areas and during weed control periods, as weed species might vary in relation to management practices. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the main weed species and determine the periods of weed interference in the eggplant cultivar Nápoli when grown under certain cultural practices, including plant staking and sprout thinning. The experiment was carried out in 2014 using a randomized complete block design, with 3 replications. The treatments consisted of 11 periods of (1) increasing weed control and (2) increasing coexistence of eggplant with weeds from the first day of transplanting (0-14, 0-28, 0-42, 0-56, 0-70, 0-84, 0-98, 0-112, 0-126, 0-140, and up do day 154). Eggplant staking and sprout thinning were performed 42 days after transplanting (DAT). Weed identification and crop yield assessments were performed to determine the Period Before Interference (PBI), Total Period of Interference Prevention (TPIP), and the Critical Period of Interference Prevention (CPIP). The major weeds found in the eggplant cultivar Nápoli were Eleusine indica, Portulaca oleracea, and Cyperus rotundus. Coexistence between the weed community and the eggplant throughout the entire crop production cycle reduced eggplant fruit yield by 78%. The PBI was 29 DAT and the TPIP was 48 DAT, resulting in 19 days of CPIP. Keywords:Competition. Weed community. Solanum melongena L.. Management practices.INTERFERÊNCIA DAS PLANTAS DANINHAS NA CULTURA DA BERINJELA RESUMO -As plantas daninhas, quando manejadas incorretamente, podem interferir no desenvolvimento e produtividade da berinjela. Para o controle destas plantas é fundamental identificar as principais espécies infestantes do local de cultivo e os períodos de controle, que podem variar de acordo com as práticas de manejo adotadas. Desta forma, o objetivo deste estudo foi identificar as principais plantas daninhas e determinar os períodos de interferência na cultura da berinjela cultiva 'Nápoli' sob manejo de tutoramento e desbrota. O experimento foi realizado no ano de 2014 no delineamento de blocos ao acaso, com três repetições. Os tratamentos consistiram de 11 períodos crescentes de controle e convivência com as plantas daninhas a partir do transplante: (0-14, 0-28, 0-42, 0-56, 0-70, 0-84, 0-98, 0-112, 0-126, 0-140 e 0-154 dias). As práticas de tutoramento e desbrota ocorreram aos 42 dias após o transplante (DAT). Realizou-se a identificação das plantas daninhas e avaliação da produtividade da cultura para determinação do período anterior à interferência (PAI), do período total de interferência (PTPI) e do período crítico de prevenção a interferência (PCPI). As principais plantas daninhas encontradas na cultura da berinjela 'Nápoli' foram Eleusine indica, Portulaca oleracea e Cyperus rotundus. O convívio entre comunidade infestante e cultura durante todo o ciclo da berinjela reduziu a produtividade de frutos em 78%. O PAI fo...

Weed Interference on the Accumulation of Dry Mass and Macronutrients of Eggplant ‘Nápoli’

“…E. indica, stand out for using more efficiently high temperatures and luminosity (Christin et al, 2014;Venâncio et al, 2014), conferring higher photosynthetic rates due to the wide spacing between the planting lines and the long period of time for shading the interrows by eggplant crop. However, large and longercycle plants, such as N. physaloides, tend to dominate the field in more advanced stages of the cycle, as observed by Marques et al (2016Marques et al ( , 2017 and other authors.…”

“…In studies carried out in the same field, E. indica, N. physaloides (Marques et al, 2016(Marques et al, , 2017 and A. tenella (Marques et al, 2017) were also the most important weeds of the weed community that occurred in the eggplant crop. These authors observed that E. indica was more important at the beginning of the crop cycle due mainly to the plant density, while N. physaloides, a species with slower initial growth and longer cycle, was more important at the end of the cycle due to the accumulation of biomass.…”

“…As the accumulation of dry mass and macronutrients was significantly reduced when weeds coexisted with eggplant beyond 42 DAT, it is suggested the weed interference starts before this period. Aramendiz-Tatis et al (2010) found the interference started soon after transplanting and lasted up to 40 DAT, while Marques et al (2017) observed that weed interference started at 29 DAT and lasted up to 48 DAT. It is emphasized that the duration of the period of interference depends on several factors, including factors related to weeds and crops, as well as environmental and management aspects.…”

“…Although yield data were not presented in the present study, there was a reduction by more than 70% in the accumulation of dry mass and macronutrients in eggplant due to the presence of weeds. Therefore, a very significant reduction in crop yield is expected, as observed by Marques et al (2016Marques et al ( , 2017. There is a need for weed control so that yield reduction is not significant.…”

“…Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) is a vegetable of the family Solanaceae (Weber et al, 2010), showing high economic importance for the State of São Paulo (Marques et al, 2016(Marques et al, , 2017, in Brazil. The cultivation of eggplant has increased due to the medicinal properties of its fruits, mainly in the reduction of cholesterol levels and blood pressure, and also to peculiar characteristics used in herbal diets with relevant medicinal substances (Montemor and Souza, 2009;Oliveira et al, 2014).…”