Efecto de Arachis pintoi sobre las Arvenses asociadas al plátano macho (Musa aab), cárdenas, tabasco, México

effect of arachis pintoi on weed control associated with plantain (musa aab), cardenas, tabasco, mexico. the experiment was carried out in cárdenas, tabasco, mexico, in a soil with loamy texture, ph moderately acidic, low content of organic matter and total nitrogen, and cultivated with plantain. the objective was to evaluate the effect of arachis pintoi as a cover crop for weed control in plantain crops. the experimental design was factorial, housed in a randomized complete block, with shading and type of plantain plant cover as associated factors. three replications were used (october 2008-august 2009). both, the shading and the cover factors had two levels: 50 (s=± 13,2) and 45 %(s= ± 11.1), and the ground was covered by weeds and by a. pintoi respectively. shannon-wiever (h′) and s？rensen (s) indexes were used to determine species richness. eleven months after the establishment of the experiment, h′ values did not differ significantly, s=0.8, in both shade percentages. the most common weed species were t. triangulare, s. podophylum, p. paniculatum and c. diffusa. the treatment with weeds and 50% of shade had statically the highest value of ms (375.3 ± 83.3 g/m2). ms produced by a. pintoi was statically higher (p=0,05) under 45% (198 g/m2) than under 50% shadea (150,4 g/m2). the effectiveness of a. pintoi in weed control was 52.3% under 45% shade, and 70.5% under 50% shade, respectively.