ABSTRACT Improved methods of weed control are required to support expansion of large-scale cowpea cultivation in mid-west Brazil. With the aim of testing our hypothesis that the tolerance of cowpea cultivars to sulfentrazone is dose- and genotype-dependent, we assessed the effects of increasing doses (0, 250, 500 and 1,000 g ha-1 of sulfentrazone) on the cultivars BRS Imponente, BRS Novaera, BRS Tumucumaque and BRS Itaim. The phytotoxic effects of sulfentrazone varied according to the dose of herbicide applied, although the symptoms were mild and only observable at the initial stages of development and at the highest dose tested. No statistically significant interactions were detected between cultivars and doses, and there were no significant differences between doses regarding population density, plant height, yield components and grain yield. Our results demonstrate that sulfentrazone is highly selective and can be applied to the studied cultivars without affecting growth or yield.

Nos solos com restrições físicas e, ou, físico-hídricas ao crescimento de raízes, aumentar o potencial de armazenagem de água por meio de melhorias na infiltração pode ser uma estratégia viável para aumento da produtividade das culturas. Nesse sentido, este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a infiltração de água em um Nitossolo Vermelho distrófico, com três sistemas de rotação de culturas sob semeadura direta com e sem escarificação inicial. O sistema de rotação de culturas constou de: (1) milheto/soja/sorgo/milho/sorgo (M/S/So/Mi/So), (2) milheto/soja/Brachiaria ruziziensis/milho/Brachiaria ruziziensis (M/S/B/Mi/B) e (3) milheto/soja/Brachiaria ruziziensis + mamona/milho/Brachiaria ruziziensis + mamona (M/S/B+Ma/Mi/B+Ma). A infiltração de água no solo foi avaliada em campo com anéis concêntricos instalados na superfície, a 0,10 e 0,20 m de profundidade, em 2006 e 2007. Após o primeiro ano, o manejo com escarificação inicial do solo apresentou a maior infiltração de água. A rotação Brachiaria ruziziensis + mamona proporcionou maior infiltração da água no solo. A atividade do sistema radicular das espécies nas parcelas sem escarificação inicial aumentou a velocidade de infiltração da água no solo.

In soils with physical and/or physical hydric restrictions for root growth, it may be a viable strategy to increase crop productivity by increasing water storage potential through improvements in water infiltration. Accordingly, the objective of this study was to determine water infiltration in a Hapludult in three crop rotations under no-tillage, with and without initial chiseling. Crop rotations consisted of: millet/soybean/sorghum/maize/sorghum; millet/soybean/Brachiaria ruziziensis/corn/Brachiaria ruziziensis; and millet/soybean/Brachiaria ruziziensis + castor bean/corn/Brachiaria ruziziensis + castor bean. Water infiltration in soil was evaluated in the field, using concentric discs at the soil surface and at depths of 0.10 and 0.20 m, in 2006 and 2007. After the first year, chiseling led to increased infiltration of water into the soil. Water infiltration was greatest in the crop rotation system with Brachiaria ruziziensis + castor bean. The activity of root systems of crops in the plots without chiseling increased the rate of water infiltration into the soil.