The objective of this work was to evaluate the characteristics related to water use efficiency of rice plants, under competition with different densities of Echinochloa crusgalli plants. The trial was installed under greenhouse conditions, in a completely randomized block design, and factorial scheme 2 x 6 (two biotypes and six infestation densities), with four replications. The treatments consisted of one rice plant at the center of the plot, under competition with 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 plants of Echinochloa crusgalli, resistant or susceptible to quinclorac, at the periphery of the plot. Fifty days after emergence, water vapor stomatal conductance, sub-stomatal water pressure, leaf temperature and transpiration rate were evaluated, as well as water use efficiency. The plants were cut at the soil level and put into paper bags and dried at 70 ± 1 ºC until dry mass stabilization. Data were analyzed by the F-test and, in case of significance, submitted to the DMRT test to evaluate the effect of increasing competition with Echinochloa over the rice plants, and to DMS test to compare the rice plants submitted to the biotypes at each competition level. Rice plants were more affected as the barnyardgrass density increased, but differences related to the biotype were not observed. Important variables, such as water use efficiency, were more affected when rice plants were under competition with plants of the susceptible biotype. Under field conditions, this characteristic may not be relevant to rice plant development, when interacted with other factors.
barnyardgrass; resistance; quinclorac; irrigated rice
