ASSOCIATED FLORA OF AN AGROFORESTAL SYSTEM IN FRUIT TREES IN THE EXPERIMENTAL FARM LA PRADERA, CHALTURA

Abstract

DOI: https://doi.org/10.46296/ig.v7i14edespdic.0254

One of the greatest limitations in agronomic crops is the presence of weeds, which is why in recent years it has been decided to implement integrated management, since this type of plants fulfill various functions in agroecosystems, for example, in ethnobotany by its medicinal and agricultural use for soil conservation and as food suppliers. The objective of this research was to identify the weed flora, its richness and agroecological benefits. The research was carried out at the La Pradera Chaltura Experimental Farm. Where weeds were sampled in avocado, lemon and mandarin fruit crops using a 1m x 1m quadrant for 6 months. A total of 20 botanical families were recorded, with 37 species found, with the Asteraceae and Poaceae families presenting the highest values in richness and abundance. The value obtained through the Shannon Wienner H' index was 3.18, which indicates a medium diversity, due to the homogeneous presence of the species in most of the quadrants. The most notable uses of the identified weeds are: pollinator plants, soil cover and insect hosts. Although some of the weeds found have their degree of invasiveness, the vast majority are an important component since they are ecological indicators for crops.

Keywords: weeds, Shannon Wienner H’ index, fruit trees, diversity.