The capacity of supression of weed infestation by cultivation of cover crops can occur during the vegetative growth of the species cultivated as cover crops, at the early stages of development, or after their desiccation. Competition and allelopathic effects performed, during the coexistence of the cover crop with the weeds can be responsible for the supressive effect. Two experiments were carried out under field conditions, in 1999/2000 and 2000/2001, at the Experimental Station of Agronomy College, at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Brazil, in a randomized block design with four replications, to determine the effects of living plants of sorghum genotypes with distinct capacity of production of hydrophobic root extracts, on supressing weeds. In 1999/2000, the treatments consisted of the RS 11, BR 601, and BR 304 sorghum genotypes, representative of three classes of hydrophobic root extracts production in laboratory, Comum RS pearl millet genotype and a check without crops. In 2000/2001, the treatments were the result of combinations of genotype factors and weed position ( rows or interrows). In the two experimental years, the density and growth of weeds (SIDRH, BIDSS, and BRAPL) were similar between sorghum genotypes and of these with pearl millet. This occurred regardless of the place evaluated, in the total area or individually in the rows or interrows, indicating lack of suppressive effect of hydrophobic exsudates under field conditions. In the first trial, thirty days after seeding, reduction of 41% of infestation and 74% of weed total dry mass were observed, while in the second trial, 14 days after seeding, no differences were observed between sorghum and pearl millet areas and the check without cover crops. Weed density in rows was inversely proportional to living sorghum plant population in these places.
Sorghum spp.; Pennisetum americanum; soil cover crops; allelopathy; competition
