NATIVE AND EXOTIC WEEDS IN JALAPEÑO PEPPER PLOTS

Abstract

Weeds play an important role in the development and production of crops by competing for water, soil nutrients and light, as well as being a reservoir for pathogens and pest insects. The objective of this study was to identify native and exotic weed plants within plots of Jalapeno pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) to design future management strategies. During May to July 2019 to 2021, weed collections were carried out in the municipalities of Camargo and Delicias, Chihuahua, Mexico, in which 20 plots of 2 × 2 m were randomly set per municipality and year, in points with the presence of weeds in an area of 4 ha. The weeds found were grouped into 54 species, belonging to 15 families, of which Poaceae and Asteraceae had greater richness with 14 and 11 species, respectively. The total number of native species found was 34, while there were 15 species with naturalized exotic status: Arundo donax L., Cenchrus ciliaris L., Chenopodium album L., Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers., Cyperus esculentus L., Echinochloa colona (L.) Link, Eragrostis cilianensis (All.) Vignolo ex Janchen, Ricinus communis L., Sonchus oleraceus L., Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers. and Tribulus terrestris L; the remaining six species corresponded to weeds native to Mexico without registration in CONABIO for the state of Chihuahua, Mexico: Acalypha neomexicana Muell.-Arg., A. setosa A. Rich., Flaveria trinervia (Spreng.) C. Mohr, Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam., Portulaca oleracea L. and Solanum fructo-tecto Cav. Among the most difficult weeds to control in chili plots were Amaranthus spp., Cenchrus echinatus L., Convolvulus arvensis L., Cuscuta indecora Choisy, Cuscuta umbellata Kunth., Cyperus esculentus L., Flaveria trinervia (Spreng.) C. Mohr and Setaria adhaerens (Forssk.) Chiov.