Efeito de diferentes métodos de controle de invasoras na compactação do solo da cultura do café.

Abstract

This research aimed to study the effects of different methods of weed control on the soil compaction in a 14 years old coffee trees, after 12 seasons. The control of the weed plants was performed by mechanical, chemical and manual methods, using the random statistical design, with eight treatments and three repetitions. The soil compaction was evaluated by measuring the resistance to soil penetration, considering data related to cone index. Field experiments started in 1994 at the Experimental Station in Ribeirão Preto City, São Paulo State. The higher degree of soil compaction was caused by the procedure that combined the disk-harrow, cutter-mower and weeding machine, and the hand-hoe cultivation was the treatment witch presented less soil compaction.