Planta Daninha (Feb 2019)
Criteria for Decision Making and Economic Threshold Level for Wild Radish in Wheat Crop
Abstract
ABSTRACT: Weed competition limits wheat yield by reducing the availability of essential resources for its growth and development. In this sense, this study aimed to estimate the economic threshold level (ETL) of wild radish (Raphanus raphanistrum) in competition with wheat cultivars. Treatments were arranged in a factorial scheme. The factor wheat cultivar consisted of early (BRS 328), medium (BRS 177), and late (BRS Umbu) cycles and the factor wild radish population ranged from 0 to 564 plants m-2 (10 populations) for the cultivar BRS 328, 0 to 472 plants m-2 for the cultivar BRS 177 (11 populations), and 0 to 724 plants m-2 for the cultivar BRS Umbu (10 populations). The early-cycle BRS 328 presented a higher competitive ability when compared to the medium-cycle BRS 177 and late-cycle BRS Umbu. Yield losses of wheat grains due to wild radish interference can be satisfactorily estimated by the rectangular hyperbola model using the variables plant population, shoot dry matter, soil cover, and leaf area of the weed. ETL values varied as a function of the cultivar cycle, being higher for the cultivar BRS 328 (early) > BRS 177 (medium) > BRS Umbu (late). Wild radish is competitive in wheat crop, requiring at least 1.6 plants m-2 for control to be justified.
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