Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Weed dynamics during the change of a degraded pasture to agroforestry system

  • Published:
Agroforestry Systems Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study evaluates weed dynamics during the first 4 years (2008–2011) of the implementation of an agroforestry system in the municipality of Tomé-açu in the state of Pará, Brazil. The study was conducted in a degraded pasture of Brachiaria humidicola, and treatments (T) included mixed plantations of oil palm with short-cycle leguminous species (T1) with the inclusion of manioc in T2 and forest species and palm trees in T3. In 2008, a floristic survey was conducted in 12 plots of 2 × 2 m per treatment. In 2009, herbicide was applied to one half of the area in each treatment. A total of 19,367 individuals of height <1.5 m were surveyed, of which 51 % were B. humidicola and 21 % were leguminous species that had been planted. Overall, an increase in plant density was observed between 2009 and 2010, followed by a decrease over the following year in areas without herbicide and a tendency for high densities to persist in areas with herbicide. Species richness increased over the study period in all areas (with or without herbicide), which might be related to habitat availability resulting from the reduced density of B. humidicola due to the effects of the herbicide, the leguminous species planted and the development of the agroforestry system. The association of short-cycle leguminous plants with afforestation appears to be an effective method for controlling weeds in the absence of herbicides.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Akobundu IO, Ekeleme F, Chikoye D (1999) Influence of fallow management systems and frequency of cropping on weed growth and crop yield. Weed Res 39:241–256

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alfaia SS, Ribeiro GR, Nobre AD, Luizão RC, Luizão FJ (2004) Evaluation of soil fertility in smallholder agroforestry systems and pastures in western Amazonia. Agric Ecosyst Environ 102:409–414

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alho CJR, Mamede SB, Bitencourt KC, Benites M (2011) Introduced species in the Pantanal: implications for conservation. Braz J Biol 71(1):321–325

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Almeida ARP, Lucchesi TJD, Abbado MR (1997) Efeito alelopático de espécies de Brachiaria Griseb. sobre algumas leguminosas forrageiras tropicais. II. Avaliações em casa de vegetação. Bol Ind Anim 54:55–64

    Google Scholar 

  • Araujo JC, Moura EG, Aguiar ACF, Mendonça VCM (2007) Supressão de plantas daninhas por leguminosas anuais em sistema agroecológico na pré-amazônia. Planta Daninha 25(2):267–275

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barbosa EG, Pivello VR, Meirelles ST (2008) Allelopathic evidence in Brachiaria decumbens and its potential to invade the Brazilian Cerrados. Braz Arch Biol Technol 51(4):825–831

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barros AVL, Homma AKO, Takamatsu JA, Takamatsu T, Konagano M (2009) Evolução e percepção dos sistemas agroflorestais desenvolvidos pelos agricultores nipo-brasileiros do município de Tome-acu, estado do Para. Amazônia Ciência e tecnologia 5:121–151

    Google Scholar 

  • Brower EJ, Zar JH, Van Enden CN (1998) Field and laboratory methods for general ecology, 4th edn. WCB/MeGraw, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Butler RA, Laurance WF (2009) Is oil palm the next emerging threat to the Amazon? Trop Conserv Sci 2(1):1–10

    Google Scholar 

  • Coelho RFR, Zarin DJ, Miranda IS, Tucker JM (2003) Análise florística e estrutural de uma floresta em diferentes estágios sucessionais no Município de Castanhal, Pará. Acta Amazonica 33:563–582

    Google Scholar 

  • Desjardins T, Lavelle P, Barros E, Brossard M, Chapuis-Lardy L, Chauvel A, Grimaldi M, Guimaraes F, Martins P, Mitja D, Muller M, Sarrazin M, Tavares Filho J (2000) Degradation des paturages amazoniens: description d’un syndrome et de ses determinants. Etude et Gestion des Sol 7:353–378

    Google Scholar 

  • Dias Filho MB (1986) Espécies forrageiras e estabelecimento de pastagens na Amazônia. In: Peixoto AM, Moura JC, Faria VP (eds) Pastagens na Amazônia. FEALQ, Piracicaba, pp 27–54

    Google Scholar 

  • Dias Filho MB (2005) Degradação de pastagens: processos, causas e estratégias de recuperação, 2nd edn. Embrapa Amazônia Oriental, Belém, 173p

  • Dias Filho MB (2006) Competição e sucessão vegetal em pastagens, Documento 240. Embrapa Amazônia Oriental, Belém, 38p

  • Ekeleme F, Akobundu IO, Fadayomi RO, Chikoye D, Abayomi YA (2003) Characterization of legume cover crops for weed suppression in the moist savanna of Nigeria. Weed Technol 17(1):1–13

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ekeleme F, Chikoye D, Akobundu IO (2004) Impact of natural, planted (Pueraria phaseoloides, Leucaena leucocephala) fallow and landuse intensity on weed seedling emergence pattern and density in cassava intercropped with maize. Agric Ecosyst Environ 103(3):581–593

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ekeleme F, Chikoye D, Akobundu IO (2005) Weed seedbank response to planted fallow and tillage in southwest Nigeria. Agrofor Syst 63(3):299–306

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Erasmo EAL, Pinheiro LLA, Costa NV (2004) Levantamento fitossociológico das comunidades de plantas infestantes em áreas de produção de arroz irrigado cultivado sob diferentes sistemas de manejo. Planta Daninha 22:195–201

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fitzherbert EB, Struebig MJ, Morel A, Danielsen F, Bruhl CA, Donald PF, Phalan B (2008) How will oil palm expansion affect biodiversity. Trends Ecol Evol 23:538–545

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Frazão DAC, Homma AKO, Ishisuca Y, Menezes AJEA, Matos GB, Rocha ACPN (2005) Indicadores Tecnológicos, Econômicos e Sociais em Comunidades de Pequenos Agricultores de Tomé-Açu, PA. Embrapa Amazônia Oriental, Belém, Documento 229:78p

    Google Scholar 

  • Hohnwald S, Abreu EMA, Krummel T, Trautwein J, Veiga JB, Wollny CBA, Braga CM, Azevedo C, Gerold G (2010) Degraded Pasture distribution and Woody enrichment strategies for pasture fertility preservation in the Bragatina Region, North-Eastern Amazon. Erdkunde 64(1):17–31

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Homma AKO (2005) Amazônia: como aproveitar os benefícios da destruição? Estudos Avançados 19(54):115–135

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Macedo MCM, Kichel AN, Zimmer AH (2000) Degradação e alternativas de recuperação e renovação de pastagens. Embrapa Gado de Corte, Comunicado Técnico 62:4p

    Google Scholar 

  • Mccloskey M, Firbank LG, Watkinson AR, Webb DJ (1996) The dynamics of experimental arable weed communities under different management practices. J Veg Sci 7:799–808

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miranda IS, Mitja D, Silva TS (2009) Mutual influence of forests and pastures on the seedbanks in the Eastern Amazon. Weed Res 49:499–505

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mitja D, Miranda IS (2010) Weed community dynamics in two pastures grown after clearing Brazilian Amazonian rainforest. Weed Res 50:163–173

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mitja D, Miranda IS, Velasquez E, Lavel P (2008) Plant species richness and floristic composition change along a rice-pasture sequence in subsistence farms of Brazilian Amazon (Benfica, State of Pará). Agric Ecosyst Environ 124:72–84

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Modesto MS Jr, Mascarenhas REB (2001) Levantamento da infestação de plantas daninhas associada a uma pastagem cultivada de baixa produtividade no nordeste paraense. Planta Daninha 19(1):11–21

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Müller MML, Guimarães MF, Desjardins T, Mitja D (2004) The relationship between pasture degradation and soil properties in the Brazilian Amazon: a case study. Agric Ecosyst Environ 103:279–288

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Prata SS, Miranda IS, Alves SAO, Farias FC, Jardim FCS (2010) Floristic gradient of the northeast Paraense secondary forests. Acta Amazonica 40(3):523–534

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ricci MSF, Virgínio Filho EM, Costa JR (2008) Diversidade da comunidade de plantas invasoras em sistemas agroflorestais com café em Turrialba, Costa Rica. Pesquisa Agropecuaria Brasileira 43(7):825–834

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rodrigues TE, Santos PL, Rollim PAM, Santos E, Rego RS, Silva JML, Valente MA, Gama JRN (2001a) Caracterização e classificação dos solos do município de Tomé-açu, PA. Embrapa Amazônia Oriental, Belém, Documento 117:49p

    Google Scholar 

  • Rodrigues TE, Santos PL, Valente MA, Rego RS, Gama NF Jr, Silva JML, Santos ES, Rolim PAM (2001b) Zoneamento Agroecológico do Muncípio de Tomé-Açu, Estado do Pará. Embrapa Amazônia Oriental, Belém, Documento 118:81p

    Google Scholar 

  • Serrão EAS, Falesi IC, Veiga JB, Teixeira Neto JF (1982) Produtividade de pastagens cultivadas em solos de baixa fertilidade das áreas de floresta da Amazônia Brasileira. In: Tergas LE, Sanchez PA, Serrão EAS (eds) Produção de pastagens em solos ácidos dos trópicos. CIAT/Embrapa, Brasília, pp 219–252

    Google Scholar 

  • Silva SO, Matsumoto SN, Bebé FV, José ARS (2006) Diversidade e freqüência de plantas daninhas em associações entre cafeeiros e grevileas. Coffee Science 1(2):126–134

    Google Scholar 

  • SYSTAT (2012) Systat.11 for Windows. Systat Software, California

  • Vieira ICG, Proctor J (2007) Mechanisms of plant regeneration during succession after shifting cultivation in eastern Amazonia. Plant Ecol 192:303–315

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This project has benefited from the support of the Natura Inovação e Tecnologias de Produtos Ltda., of the Embrapa Amazônia Oriental, of the Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia. The Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) provided a scholarship to Fernando da Costa Brito Lacerda. We Thank Natalia Mafra, Fabio Leão, Tamara Lima, Kênia Samara, Elayne Braga, Denison Lima, Magno Reis, Livia Lobato, Heraldo Silva for their help in the field and glasshouse and Mr. Antonio Carlos and Mr. Manuel Cordeiro for their efficiency and enthusiasm during plant identification.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Programa de Mestrado em Botânica Tropical, Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia (UFRA), Av. Presidente Tancredo Neves, 2501, C.P. 917, Belém, CEP 66077-901, Brazil

    Fernando Lacerda, Izildinha Miranda & Igor do Vale

  2. Embrapa Amazônia Oriental, Tv. Enéas Pinheiro, Belém, 66095-100, Brazil

    Oswaldo Ryohei Kato & Carlos José Capela Bispo

Authors
  1. Fernando Lacerda
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Izildinha Miranda
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Oswaldo Ryohei Kato
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Carlos José Capela Bispo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Igor do Vale
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Izildinha Miranda.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lacerda, F., Miranda, I., Kato, O.R. et al. Weed dynamics during the change of a degraded pasture to agroforestry system. Agroforest Syst 87, 909–916 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-013-9607-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-013-9607-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation