Efecto de la carga animal sobre la dinámica de malezas en pasturas de Megathyrsus maximus en sistemas de pastoreo continuo

Inadequate pasture management leads to various issues, including the proliferation of weed species. This study assessed the influence of stocking rate on weed control in Megathyrsus maximus pastures, under grazing conditions with crossbred zebu cattle (5/8 Brahman and 3/8 Brown Swiss) at the Río Suma experimental farm, located in the El Carmen district. The experimental area covered 60,000 m², and a randomised complete block design with six replications was applied. Four stocking rates were evaluated: 1.0, 1.2, 1.5, and 2.0 LSU. The results showed no significant differences in weed control among treatments. The most prevalent species was Asclepias curassavica L. The treatment with 1.5 LSU presented the lowest weed percentage (7.68%), while the highest weed incidence was observed at 1.2 LSU (8.65%). A positive correlation was found between weed percentage and stocking rate, indicating that higher grazing pressure promoted density of weed proliferation in the evaluated pastures.