This study evaluated the efficiency of cover legumes in suppressing weed. A field experiment was arranged in a randomized block design with five replications in an alley cropping system, using Clitoria fairchildiana and four cover species, Mucuna aterrima, Cajanus cajan, Canavalia ensiformes and Calopogonium mucunoides. Weed frequency, density, diversity and biomass were evaluated with 42 weed species being identified. The most frequent and presenting the highest density and dominance were Leptochoa virgata, Panicum laxum and Sida sp. No significant differences were detected in density, number of species, diversity and biomass among the four legumes, nor between them and the control.
alley cropping; cover crop; population dynamics
