Resumen

BARRIOS, Renny et al. Effect of the artificial sombreamiento on the establishment of promissory leguminosas like cover in oil palm in Monagas state. Agronomía Trop. [online]. 2008, vol.58, n.1, pp.31-34. ISSN 0002-192X.

The use of legumes as cover crops constitutes an alternative to incorporate sustainability to the agricultural systems. Under perennial crops is required to overcome limitations referring to the establishment and persistence of the legumes due to the reduction of the growth and development of the plants when the luminosity at the ground level decreases. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the artificial shade on the performance of Desmodium ovalifolium, Arachis pintoi and Pueraria phaseoloides. The experiment was carried out at the experimental field of INIA Monagas, located at southeast of Maturín. A split-split plots design was used, with shade as principal plot, the legume type as sub-plots and the dates of evaluation as sub-sub-plots, for a total of 6 treatments and 4 replications. The cover index through the time during a period of 150 days was evaluated. Analysis of variance and means test were realized. The results showed that P. phaseoloides had the best performance of the cover index, independently of the shade, and D. ovalifolium under shade, which had similar performance or even better to the others treatments. The growth and development of D. ovalifolium and A. pintoi was favored under shade. A. pintoi presented the lowest cover index and it showed low competitive ability and tendencies to be displaced by the weeds complex.

Palabras clave : Cover index; Desmodium; Arachis; Pueraria; shade tolerance.