Interference of annual crops on initial growth of Brachiaria ruziziensis

The objective of this study was to evaluate the initial growth of ruzigrass (B. ruziziensis) with annual species. The experiment was conducted at Embrapa Agropecuaria Oeste, in Dourados, MS, Brazil. On May 18, 2014 sowed B. ruziziensis single and intercropping with white oats, wheat, canola, sunflower, crambe and Crotalaria ochroleuca, with six plants per pot; and millet, cowpea, common bean, sorghum and maize with four plants per pot containing 30 kg of dry soil. The experimental arrangement was in a 2x12 factorial scheme [two soil type (clayey and sandy) and twelve crops], in a randomized block design, with three replications. At 55 days after sowing the crops, the plant dry mass, number of tiller and height of the ruzigrass were evaluated; leaf area and dry mass of annual crops. The dry mass of ruzigrass was calculated in the intercropping in relation to its single crop. The data were submitted to analysis of variance and the means grouped by the Scott-Knott test (p < 0.05). The ruzigrass produced 78% and 55% by mass; and 2.2 and 1.6 tillers per plant in the clayey and sandy soil, respectively. The matter yield of ruzigrass was increased in the intercropping with C. ochroleuca (14%) and decreased in the intercropping with maize (29%), sunflower (32%), cowpea (34%), white oats (51%), common bean (52%), canola (57%) and sorghum (67%), with reduction also in its tillering.