A good soil coverture is one of the most important direct seeding requirements because, among others factors, it improves the weed control due to the allelopathical and physical effects. The objective was to evaluate the influence of six management systems of black oat on it's decomposition rate and weed control under direct seeding of maize. The management systems evaluated were herbicide (sulfosate); herbicide before knife roller; knife roller before herbicide; knife roller; rotary shredders and rotary shredders before herbicide. The weed control efficiency was evaluated through the percentage of soil coverture 35 days after seeding and by the weight of weeds at maize harvesting. The management systems had a significative effect on decomposition rate and weed control. But treatments with different decomposition rates had the same weed control efficiency. The weed control was different between the herbicide before knife roller and knife roller before herbicide. The mechanical and chemical combined treatments didn´t result in benefits compared with the same but not combined management systems. The mechanical management systems evaluated had the same performance.
Knife roller; rotary shredders; crop persistence; conservation tillage; Avena strigosa