WEED GROWTH AND DRY MATTER PARTITION UNDER WATER RESTRICTION

The capacity of a weed to adapt to the restriction of growth factors is directly related to its ability to compete for those resources with the cultivated species. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of water restriction on the growth and biomass partitioning of four species of weeds. The experimental design used randomized blocks, with five replications. The treatments were arranged in a 4 x 2 factorial, with the first factor being the weed species (Waltheria indica, Crotalaria retusa, Cleome affinis and Commelina benghalensis) and the second, two water regimes: daily irrigation (Irr) and water restriction (WR). The number of leaves, leaf area, dry mass of the plant and its parts (root, stem and leaf), and the mass distribution among different organs (roots, leaves and stems) were determined. The water deficit in the soil increased the root dry matter for C. retusa, W. indica and C. benghalensis, however, it did not alter the mass of the stem of the weeds. C. retusa and W. indica suffered a reduction on the number of leaves, leaf area, dry matter of the leaves and the plant dry matter under water deficit. W. indica and C. retusa had a reduction on the percentage of biomass allocated to the leaves, and an increment on the percentage of the roots mass, while C. benghalensis and C. affinis had an increase only on the roots mass.