Occurrence of weeds in coffee intercropped with macadamia

Abstract

Arborization can benefit coffee plantations by reducing the wind speed and temperature variation in the crop. It is also possible that the incident radiation can affect the weed populations and reduce the need for their control. This study aimed at assessing the weeds population and distribution, in arabica coffee intercropped with three macadamia cultivars, six years after planting, in Dois Córregos, São Paulo State, Brazil. Treatments consisted of a 3x3+1 factorial scheme, i.e., coffee intercropped with three macadamia cultivars (HAES 816, IAC 4-20 and IAC 9-20) and three sampling positions of weeds in the intercropping (in the macadamia tree canopy projection, among the macadamia tree canopies projections and in the single rows), plus an additional treatment (sole coffee). The weeds incidence and control, as well as their phytosociological characterization, were evaluated. For coffee intercropped with macadamia, the weeds occurrence and number of species were smaller than for sole coffee. For the projection in the canopy and among canopies of macadamia trees, there was an average decrease of 82% in the occurrence of weeds, in comparison with the sole coffee. The IAC 9-20 cultivar was more efficient in reducing the occurrence of weeds, when intercropped with coffee, for presenting a taller canopy, with a larger diameter.