Table beet (Beta vulgaris), an important vegetable cultivated in Brazil, is very susceptible to weed interference, with Amaranthus viridis being one of the main species found in horticultural areas. The objective of this research was to study the response of table beet to competition at different densities of A. viridis, based on evaluation of crop growth and production characteristics. An experiment was carried out in 0.25 m² pots in Jaboticabal-SP, Brazil, with 8 table beet plants per pot kept in constant coexistence with 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 plants per pot of A. viridis. The table beet crop was very susceptible to interference of A. viridis, with its leaf area, number of leaves, leaf dry mass, root mean diameter and root fresh mass being significantly reduced even under low weed densities, with root fresh mass being the most sensitive to interference.
Beta vulgaris; Amaranthus viridis; competition; density
