Phytosociology and Behavior of Weeds in Maize as Influenced by Spatial Arrangements

Using the right spatial arrangement is a sustainable way to prevent or at least delay the emergence of weeds in the crop production. This study evaluated the influence of row spacing and plant density of maize on weed control based on the phytosociological survey. It was conducted on an Oxisol textured medium in a 400 m2 area under semiarid conditions. The hybrid maize 30F53YH was managed under a no-till cropping system with three types of row spacing (0.35 m, 0.50 m, and 0.70 m) and three plant densities (5.0 plants m-2, 6.5 plants m-2, and 8.0 plants m-2). The experimental design was randomized complete blocks with four replications in a factorial arrangement 3 × 3. The phytosociological survey of the weeds was randomly performed four times in each subplot, using the inventory square (0.5 m × 0.5 m). The collected data were analyzed using the R statistical program. Among the specimen’s families identified on the field, three of them need to be highlighted due to its high values of density, frequency, and dominance. These families were Fabaceae, Poaceae, and Amaranthaceae. Also, it was identified that the Leucaena leucocephala species may be classified as a weed, as it acted as an invasive species on maize. The weed control was greatly influenced by the interaction of both parameters rather than only row spacing or the plant density factor. The results showed that the reduced spacing and high crop population decreased the presence of weeds in the maize crop.