Weeds in crops of avocado, tree tomato, pasture, and forage and their relation to yield and production costs

Abstract

Moderate cold weather areas in Colombia is characterized by different production systems highlighting avocado crops, tree tomato, pastures and forages for animal feed. Among the most limiting factors for its production is the weed plants. This study has as objectives to recognize associated weed and management practices, in addition to identifying the relations of these with the yield and the costs of production in avocado, tree tomato, pastures and forages crops. Municipalities were selected with moderate cold weather in Antioquia and in each one, three lots. With theses systems, all weeds were identified taxonomically, also management, yield and production costs were determined for each one. With the data of incidence, diversity, and practices of management of weeds and through a logistic regression model was evaluated its relation with the yield and costs of production. This work found that weeds associated with tomato crops, pastures and forages, present a greater imbalance with respect to the production system avocado, which gives rise to the lower diversity and high incidence of a few species for these systems. Meanwhile the practice is more widespread and higher cost generated was chemical control, although under avocado production system there are other management measures, as the use of mulches, mechanical control, among others. It is necessary to determine an integrated management plan for the weeds, in search of greater ecological sustainability and an economic and environmental use of the secondary species within agroecosystems.