This study evaluated the relative competitive ability of rice cultivars in the presence of a joint-vetch (Aeschynomene denticulata) biotype, at different replacement levels of plants in the association. The experiments were conducted in a randomized complete block design with four replications. First, it was determined the population of plants in which the final dry mass remains constant, both for the rice and for the joint-vetch (24 plants per pot). Later, two experiments were carried out to evaluate the competitiveness of the rice cultivars BRS Querência and BRS Sinuelo CL with joint-vetch plants, both conducted in replacement series, in different crop and weed combinations, varying the relative proportions of plants per pot (24:0, 18:6, 12:12, 6:18 and 0:24). Competitiveness of each species was analyzed by diagrams applied to replacement experiments and by the relative competitiveness indices. Fifty days after the emergence, tillering or number of leaves, height, leaf area and shoot dry mass were determined. Competition occurred between the rice cultivars and the joint-vetch, both were adversely affected, irrespective of the plant proportion. This resulted in reductions in all evaluated variables. Different competitive abilities were observed between rice cultivars in the presence of joint-vetch. The 'BRS Querência' was more competitive than the 'BRS Sinuelo CL' for all plant proportions and variables tested.
Oryza sativa ; plant ecology; interference
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