The objective of this work was to evaluate the competitiveness of ryegrass biotypes resistant and susceptible to glyphosate, as well as their interference in wheat growth at different densities. At harvesting, 50 days after emergence, tillering, height, and leaf area of ryegrass plants were evaluated and shoot and roots of ryegrass and wheat were collected and their root, stalk and leaf dry mass was determined. Based on the data, the following variables were evaluated for ryegrass and wheat: crop growth rate (TCC = MS A/Ndays), with MS A being shoot dry mass and Ndays the number of days between emergence and plant harvesting; specific leaf area (SLA = Af /MSf),with Af being the leaf area and MSf leaf dry mass; and leaf area index (IAF = Af/St), St being soil area, indicating leaf area per soil area. Plant height, dry mass and leaf area of the susceptible ryegrass showed smaller reductions and better phenotypic plasticity, in function of the increasing density per soil area, compared to the resistant one. The susceptible biotype showed to be more competitive and its interference in wheat development was more visible at lower densities. It was concluded that the susceptible ryegrass biotype is more competitive than the resistant one.
resistance; Lolium multiflorum; competition
