Weed community of no-till avocado (Persea americana Mill.) crops in tropical highlands

Abstract

No-till avocado orchards in the highlands are gaining importance in eastern Antioquia, Colombia. To evaluate the influence of management, and edaphic properties on the composition of weed communities, 50 Hass avocado orchards were studied in nine municipalities of eastern Antioquia. The variables cover and presence of weeds were used to estimate relative frequency, dominance, and Importance Value (IV); weed management was characterized by a survey. The maximum moisture retention capacity and pH of the soil were also determined. The importance of species, rotation of management strategies, and herbicides were analyzed graphically. The association between weeds dominance, and factors, was evaluated by a generalized linear model. 66 dicots and 28 monocot weeds were classified. Out of the 10 most important species, three foreign species, Melinis minutiflora P. Beauv, Digitaria horizontalis Willd, and Pennisetum clandestinum Hoschst. Ex Chiov were the most representative. The municipalities are grouping the effects of similar management strategies in the territory. Chemical management favored the equilibrium of the weed composition, while mechanical management did not. Soil properties had less influence on the distribution and dominance of weeds.