Glyphosate Herbicide Use in Urochloa brizantha Management in Intercropping With Herbicide-Resistant Maize

The success of the intercropping among cultivated species depends on the adoption of practices that provide, in due course, greater competitive ability of a species over another. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of glyphosate herbicide in the suppression of Brachiaria (signalgrass) intercropped with maize. The experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with four replications. The treatments were arranged in a 5 x 2 + 2 factorial arrangement, the first factor corresponding to the doses of glyphosate (48, 96, 144, 240, 480 g ha-1 of the acid equivalent (a.e)) and the second one to the vegetative stages of the signalgrass at the time of application (2 and 4 tillers). Two controls were added to the treatment list, comprising controls without herbicide application and hand removal of the signalgrass. The number of plants, tillers and dry matter of signalgrass was reduced with glyphosate. The increase of the glyphosate doses enhanced the injure to the forage plants, mainly when the compound was sprayed at the two-tiller vegetative stage. The dry matter of maize plants increased proportionally to the glyphosate dose. However, the height of the maize plants was not affected. The grain mass and productivity of maize grain increased with increasing dose of glyphosate. The maize yield was negatively influenced on the untreated control. Glyphosate at 96 and 144 g ha-1, when applied at 2 and 4 tiller stage, respectively, reduces the growth of signalgrass and does not affect the maize grain yield. O sucesso do consórcio entre espécies cultivadas depende da adoção de práticas que proporcionem, em momento oportuno, maior habilidade competitiva a uma espécie em detrimento da outra. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o uso do glyphosate no manejo da braquiária em consórcio com o milho. O experimento foi realizado em delineamento de blocos casualizados com quatro repetições. Os tratamentos foram arranjados em esquema fatorial 5 x 2 + 2, sendo o primeiro fator correspondente às doses do herbicida glyphosate (48, 96, 144, 240, 480 g ha-1 do equivalente ácido (e.a.)), e o segundo, aos estádios vegetativos da braquiária no momento da aplicação (dois e quatro perfilhos). Foram adicionadas duas testemunhas, constituídas pela testemunha capinada e pela testemunha sem aplicação do herbicida. O número de plantas e o de perfilhos, bem como a matéria seca da braquiária, foram reduzidos com a aplicação do glyphosate. O aumento das doses de glyph