© The Authors, 2026, Published by the Universidad del Zulia*Corresponding author: smvelez@espam.edu.ec
Keywords:
Phytosociology
Vegetation
Record oritic
Floristic composition and ecological parameters of weeds in corn (Zea mays L.), in Tosagua,
Ecuador
Composición orística y parámetros ecológicos de arvenses en maíz (Zea mays L.), en, Tosagua,
Ecuador
Composição orística e parâmetros ecológicos de ervas daninhas em milho (Zea mays L.), em
Tosagua, Equador
Diego Germán Grijalva-Villamar
1
José Alejandro Vera-Calderón
1
Veris Antonio Saldarriaga-Lucas
1
Gonzalo Bolívar Constante-Tubay
1
Geoconda Aracely López-Alava
1
Jeerson Bertin Vélez-Olmedo
2
Sergio Miguel Vélez-Zambrano
1
*
Rev. Fac. Agron. (LUZ). 2026, 43(2): e264323
ISSN 2477-9407
DOI: https://doi.org/10.47280/RevFacAgron(LUZ).v43.n2.V
Crop production
Associate editor: Dr. Jorge Vilchez-Perozo
University of Zulia, Faculty of Agronomy
Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
1
Carrera de Ingeniería Agrícola, Escuela Superior Politécnica
Agropecuaria de Manabí Manuel Félix López (MFL),
Calceta, Campus Politécnico El Limón, 130601, Ecuador.
2
Departamento de Ciencias Agronómicas, Facultad de
Ingeniería Agronómica, Universidad Técnica de Manabí,
Portoviejo, 130105, Ecuador.
Received: 05-05-2025
Accepted: 25-03-2026
Published: 15-04-2026
Abstract
Corn is one of the most important species worldwide due to its uses
for feeding humans and animals. In Ecuador, the province of Manabí
is considered the area with the largest cultivated area nationwide.
This work aimed to characterize weeds’ oristic composition and
predominance in El Junco, Tosagua corn production systems. To
estimate the dominance of existing weeds, 10 farms were selected,
where thirty random samplings were carried out for each farm
using a 0.50 x 0.50 m quadrant. At each sampling point, the existing
weeds and their respective identication were counted. In total 39
species were identied, 32 belonging to the Magnoliopsida class
(dicotyledons) and 7 to the Liliopsida class (monocotyledons) and
grouped into 16 botanical families. The families with the greatest
representation were: Poaceae (25,06 %), Euphorbiaceae (18,61 %),
Cyperaceae (14,79 %), Asteraceae (9,76 %) and Malvaceae (8,49
%). The most frequent species were Urochloa fasciculata, Euphorbia
hirta, Cyperus rotundus, Cyanthillium cinereum, Richardia scabra,
Corchorus hirtus and Alternanthera sp. The species U. fasciculata,
E. hirta, and C. rotundus obtained the highest dominance values
with 3.88, 3.49, and 3.03 % respectively. In this way, we concluded
that the Poaceae family, presented the greatest number of weeds
in the corn production systems in the El Junco locality. Adequate
knowledge of the oristic composition of an agroecosystem will
allow the development of appropriate weed management strategies
in dierent commercial corn elds.
This scientic publication in digital format is a continuation of the Printed Review: Legal Deposit pp 196802ZU42, ISSN 0378-7818.
Rev. Fac. Agron. (LUZ). 2026, 43(2): e264323 April-June ISSN 2477-9409.
2-7 |
Resumen
El cultivo de maíz, tiene una importancia mundial muy alta debido
a sus múltiples usos principalmente en la alimentación de humanos
y animales. En Ecuador, la provincia de Manabí se considera como
la zona de mayor área cultivada a nivel nacional. El presente trabajo
tuvo como objetivo determinar la composición orística y parámetros
ecológicos de plantas arvenses en el cultivo de maíz en el Junco,
Tosagua, Ecuador. Para estimar la dominancia de las arvenses, se
seleccionaron 10 ncas, estableciendo 10 puntos de muestreo por
cada unidad de producción. Cada muestreo comprendió un área de
0,25 m
2
. Para realizar el conteo y la determinación taxonómica de las
arvenses. En total se determinaron 39 taxones, 33 especies y 6 a nivel
de género, 32 pertenecientes a la clase Magnoliopsida (dicotiledóneas)
y 7 a la clase Liliopsida (monocotiledóneas) y agrupadas en 16
familias botánicas. Las familias con mayor representatividad fueron:
Poaceae (25,06 %), Euphorbiaceae (18,61 %), Cyperaceae (14,79
%), Asteraceae (9,76 %) y Malvaceae (8,49 %). Las especies más
frecuentes fueron Urochloa fasciculata, Euphorbia hirta, Cyperus
rotundus, Cyanthillium cinereum, Richardia scabra, Corchorus hirtus
y Alternanthera sp. Los promedios más altos de dominancia fueron
alcanzados por las especies U. fasciculata, E. hirta y C. rotundus
con 3,88; 3,49 y 3,03 % respectivamente. De esta forma, se concluye
que la familia Poaceae, presentó el mayor número de arvenses en los
sistemas productivos de maíz en la localidad El Junco. El adecuado
conocimiento de la composición orística de un agroecosistema,
permitirá elaborar estrategias adecuadas de manejo de arvenses en los
diferentes campos comerciales de maíz.
Palabras clave: tossociologia, vegetación, inventario orístico.
Resumo
O milho é uma das espécies mais importantes do mundo,
devido às suas utilizações na alimentação humana e animal. No
Equador, a província de Manabí é considerada por ter a maior área
cultivada em todo o país. O objetivo deste trabalho foi caracterizar
a composição orística e a predominância de ervas daninhas
nos sistemas de produção de milho em El Junco, Tosagua. Para
estimar a dominância de plantas daninhas foram selecionadas 10
fazendas, onde foram realizadas trinta amostragens aleatórias para
cada fazenda, utilizando um quadrante de 0,50 x 0,50 m. Em cada
ponto amostral foram contadas as plantas daninhas existentes e sua
respectiva identicação. No total foram identicadas 39 espécies,
sendo 32 pertencentes à classe Magnoliopsida (dicotiledôneas)
e 7 à classe Liliopsida (monocotiledôneas) e agrupadas em 16
famílias botânicas. As famílias com maior representatividade foram:
Poaceae (25,06 %), Euphorbiaceae (18,61 %), Cyperaceae (14,79
%), Asteraceae (9,76 %) e Malvaceae (8,49 %). As espécies mais
frequentes foram Urochloa fasciculata, Euphorbia hirta, Cyperus
rotundus, Cyanthillium cinereum, Richardia scabra, Corchorus
hirtus, Alternanthera sp. Os maiores valores de dominância foram
obtidos pelas espécies U. fasciculata, E. hirta e C. rotundus com 3,88,
3,49 e 3,03 % respectivamente. Desta forma, conclui-se que a família
Poaceae apresentou o maior número de plantas daninhas nos sistemas
de produção de milho na localidade de Tosagua. O conhecimento
adequado da composição orística de um agroecossistema permitirá
o desenvolvimento de estratégias adequadas de manejo de plantas
daninhas em diferentes lavouras comerciais de milho.
Palavras chave: tossociologia, vegetação, registro orístico.
Introduction
Weeds, also incorrectly referred to as ‘unwanted plants’, are
plants that grow in undesirable locations, interfering with land and
water use and negatively aecting crop development (Chandrasekara
et al., 2010; Zandoná et al., 2018). These plant species exhibit high
competitiveness and adaptability to dierent environmental conditions
(Majeed et al., 2022), as well as more ecient reproductive strategies
than those of crops, notably producing abundant seeds, most of which
are small in size, which contributes to an increase in the soil seed
bank (Romaneckas et al., 2021; Pinke et al., 2022).
Compared to cultivated plants, weeds tend to germinate
earlier and exhibit rapid growth regardless of climatic conditions
(Chandrasekara et al., 2010). Their presence can cause signicant
losses in agricultural yield, depending on the level of infestation
(Melo et al., 2019). These losses can aect both the quality (Majrashi,
2022) and the volume of the harvested crop, with losses ranging from
45 to 95 % in horticultural crops (Mennan et al., 2020) and up to a 21
% reduction in maize production (Ngawit et al., 2024).
Traditionally, weed management has been carried out mainly
through mechanical and cultural methods (Majrashi, 2022); however,
these are not always eective. Globally, chemical control through
the use of herbicides has gained prominence due to its eciency
across various crops, with herbicides being used predominantly in
developed countries (Chauhan, 2020). In this context, the global
herbicide market reached a sales volume of $40.16 billion, with sales
estimated at $45.42 billion and $72.64 billion for 2024 and 2028,
which would represent approximately 59.1 % of global pesticide
sales (The Business Research Company, 2023, 2024).
The cultivation of maize (Zea mays L.), one of the most important
grasses worldwide, faces considerable pressure from the diversity
of weed species. These pose a threat to crop development through
interference (competition + allelopathy) and by acting as hosts for
pests and diseases (Suárez-P et al., 2018). In 2023, global production
reached 1.23 billion metric tonnes, representing a 6 % increase
compared to 2022 (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations [FAOSTAT], 2024; Department of Agriculture [USDA],
2024). Among the top-producing countries, the United States (38.69
MMT), China (288.84 MMT), Brazil (122 MMT), Argentina (52
MMT) and India (37.5 MMT) rank in the global top ve respectively
(USDA, 2024).
In Ecuador, the area planted with dry hard maize reached 344,272
ha, with a production of 1.64 million tonnes and a national average
yield of 4.4 t.ha
-1
, grown mainly in the provinces of Manabí, Los Ríos
and Guayas. Manabí established itself as the leading national maize
producer, with an area of 119,130 ha and 467,270 tonnes produced,
at an average yield of 4.22 t.ha
-1
(Agricultural Public Information
System [SIPA], 2024). This production is mainly generated by small
and medium-sized producers on commercial elds established on
rainfed land (rainy season) in areas with sloping topography. Despite
being rainfed, this production contributes signicantly to national
output, with a large percentage destined for agribusiness.
Along the Ecuadorian coast, several weed species associated
with this crop have been identied, including the following: pigweed
(Amaranthus spp.), cocklebur (Bidens pilosa L.), Bermuda grass
and/or virgin grass (Cynodon dactylon L.), coquitos / cortaderas
(Cyperus spp.), digitaria (Digitaria sanguinalis L.), barnyard grass
(Echinochloa colona L.), morning glories (Ipomea spp.), bitter
melon (Momordica charantia L.), barnyard grass (Leptochloa
This scientic publication in digital format is a continuation of the Printed Review: Legal Deposit pp 196802ZU42, ISSN 0378-7818.
Grijalva-Villamar et al. Rev. Fac. Agron. (LUZ). 2026, 43(2): e264323
3-7 |
spp.), Paspalum (Paspalum fasciculatum L.), fork grass (Paspalum
conjugatum L.) and broomrape (Sida spp.) (Amaya et al., 2018).
The various ways in which weeds aect crops, combined with the
importance of maize cultivation, suggest a scenario in which these
undesirable plants play a signicant role in global maize production,
potentially posing a major threat on a global scale. Globally, it has
been estimated that uncontrolled weeds can cause losses of between
8.6 % and 51 % of maize yield (Gharde et al., 2018). In Ecuador,
although there are few studies on losses attributable to weeds, losses
due to weed interference are estimated at up to 45 % of production
(Martínez et al., 2021). With this in mind, the accurate taxonomic
identication of weeds present in commercial crops forms the basis
for establishing appropriate management measures, which must be
economically viable and environmentally safe (Garibaldi-Márquez et
al., 2022; Rad et al., 2020).
In view of the above, the objective of this study was to characterise
the oristic composition and ecological parameters of weeds in maize
crops in Tosagua, Ecuador.
Materials and methods
Study area
The research was carried out between March and August 2020 in
the ‘El Junco’ sector of the Tosagua canton, in the province of Manabí,
Ecuador, within the geographical coordinates: 00°49’16’’ S, 80°19’13’’
W and at an altitude of 80 metres above sea level (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Geographical location of the study area: El Junco,
Tosagua-Manabí, Ecuador
Sample collection and sampling technique
The sampling areas were determined through reconnaissance
surveys on representative farms, where 10 maize-producing farms
were selected to collect data on ora and ecological parameters, with
an average size of between 4 and 10 ha per farm. The sampling pattern
was carried out uniformly in the central area of the maize elds during
the dry season, following a zigzag route. To avoid the edge eect, a
distance of 20 m was established from the eld boundary into the crop
before sampling began.
The number of samples per plot consisted of 30 sampling sites.
Each sampling site was represented by a 0.25 m² quadrant (0.5 m
× 0.5 m). Samples were collected between 80 and 100 days after
sowing, in each of the selected plots, when the weed communities had
reached physiological maturity. The collected specimens were placed
in labelled plastic bags, with a unique code assigned to each sample.
The samples were then transported to the laboratory for analysis and
taxonomic identication.
Taxonomic identication of weeds
The collected weed specimens were analysed and identied at
the order, family, genus and species levels, using information from
physical herbaria (Technical University of Manabí), digital platforms
(Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, https://www.kew.org/; Conabio Virtual
Herbarium, http://www.conabio.gob.mx/otros/cgi-bin/herbario.cgi
and New York Botanical Garden, https://www.nybg.org/), as well
as specialised taxonomic literature (World Flora Online list, https://
www.worldoraonline.org/), enabling identication down to species
level.
Vegetative characterization
Phenotypic diversity
The total number of broad-leaved and narrow-leaved weed
species per m² was recorded.
Phytosociological indicators
With regard to phytosociological indicators, the following
variables were used: density, dominance, frequency, abundance,
relative frequency, relative density, relative abundance, importance
value index and relative importance index (Table 1).
Table 1. Description of phytosociological parameters with their
formulas
Parameters Formulas
Density (D)
Total number of individuals per species/Total
area surveyed
Dominance
Total number of individuals sampled of species i/
total number of individuals of all sampled species
Frequency (F)
Number of plots containing the species/Total
number of plots used
Abundance (A)
Total number of individuals per species/Total
number of plots containing the species
Relative frequency (RF)
Frequency of species × 100/Total frequency of
all species
Relative density (RD)
Density of the species × 100/Total density of all
species
Relative abundance (RA) Species abundance/Total abundance of all species
Importance value index
(IVI)
RF + RD + RA
Relative importance index
(RII)
Species-specic RII × 100/Total RII for all
species
Source: (Braun-Blanquet, 1979)
Data analysis
The data generated from the weeds present on maize-growing
farms were analysed using the formulas set out in Table 1 above and
through descriptive analysis.
Results and discussion
Taxonomic identication of weeds
In this study, 1,967 weed specimens were analysed in commercial
maize elds in the town of Junco. A total of 39 species were recorded, of
which 33 were fully identied and 6 were identied only to genus level;
of the identied species, 17 families were represented across all analyzed
samples. The predominant families were: Poaceae, Euphorbiaceae,
Cyperaceae and Asteraceae. Table 2 details the weeds collected in the
Tosagua canton, Ecuador, classied by class, family and species.
This scientic publication in digital format is a continuation of the Printed Review: Legal Deposit pp 196802ZU42, ISSN 0378-7818.
Rev. Fac. Agron. (LUZ). 2026, 43(2): e264323 April-June ISSN 2477-9409.
4-7 |
Meanwhile, in the class Magnoliopsida, the families with the
highest number of individuals were: Euphorbiaceae with 366
individuals (18.61 %), followed by Asteraceae with 192 (9.76 %),
Malvaceae with 167 (8.49 %), Rubiaceae with 158 (8.03 %) and
Amaranthaceae with 129 (6.56 %) (Table 2). These results are similar
to various studies conducted on the quantication of weeds associated
with crops in tropical and subtropical zones, such as that carried out
Vegetative characterisation of weeds
A total of 39 weed species were taxonomically identied,
belonging to 17 families, of which 15 were dicotyledons and 2 were
monocotyledons. Within the class Liliopsida, the Poaceae family
had the highest number of individuals (493), representing 25.06 %,
followed by the Cyperaceae family, which recorded 291 individuals,
equivalent to 14.79 % (Table 2).
Table 2. Floristic inventory of weeds in maize cultivation, collected in El Junco, Tosagua.
Scientic name Common name Family Botanical class
Acnistus arborescens (L.) Schltdl. Cojojo Solanaceae Magnoliopsida
Alternanthera sp. Jorra Amaranthaceae Magnoliopsida
Amaranthus dubius Mart. Bledo manso Amaranthaceae Magnoliopsida
Browallia americana L. Simpatica Solanaceae Magnoliopsida
Capsicum frutescens L. Ají de ratón Solanaceae Magnoliopsida
Corchorus hirtus L. Espadilla, escobillo Malvaceae Magnoliopsida
Cordia lutea Lam. Muyuyo Boraginaceae Magnoliopsida
Cordia sp. Muñeco Boraginaceae Magnoliopsida
Croton lobatus L. Cola de alacrán Euphorbiaceae Magnoliopsida
Cucumis dipsaceus Ehrenb. ex Spach. Calabacilla Cucurbitaceae Magnoliopsida
Cyanthillium cinereum (L.) H. Rob. Hierba de hierro Asteraceae Magnoliopsida
Cyperus rotundus Coquito Cyperaceae Liliopsida
Delilia sp. Pelusilla Asteraceae Magnoliopsida
Desmodium sp. Pega pega Fabaceae Magnoliopsida
Echinochloa colona (L.) Link. Paja de patillo Poaceae Liliopsida
Eleusine indica (L.) Gaertn. Paja de burro Poaceae Liliopsida
Euphorbia heterophylla L. Lechero Euphorbiaceae Magnoliopsida
Euphorbia hirta L. Hierba de sapo Euphorbiaceae Magnoliopsida
Euphorbia nutans Lag. Lechosa Euphorbiaceae Magnoliopsida
Heliotropium indicum L. Rabo de alacrán Boraginaceae Magnoliopsida
Hyptis suaveolens (L.) Poit. Cordón de fraile Lamiaceae Magnoliopsida
Ipomea hederifolia L. Batatilla Convolvulaceae Magnoliopsida
Ipomea sp. Bejuco Convolvulaceae Magnoliopsida
Leptochloa sp. Paja mona Poaceae Liliopsida
Phyla nodiora (L.) Greene Bella alfombra Verbenaceae Magnoliopsida
Solanum pimpinelifolium L. Tomatillo Solanaceae Magnoliopsida
Momordica charantia L. Achochilla Cucurbitaceae Magnoliopsida
Nicotiana longiora Cav. Flor de sapo Solanaceae Magnoliopsida
Urochloa fasciculata (Sw.) R. Webster. Granadilla Poaceae Liliopsida
Petiveria alliacea L. Zorrilla Phytolaccaceae Magnoliopsida
Prestonia mollis Kunth. Malacapa Apocynaceae Magnoliopsida
Priva lappulacea (L.) Pers. Pegador chillador Verbenaceae Magnoliopsida
Richardia scabra L. Sangre de toro Rubiaceae Magnoliopsida
Rottboellia cochinchinensis Paja caminadora Poaceae Liliopsida
Senna tora (L.) Roxb. Retama Fabaceae Magnoliopsida
Sida acuta Burm.l. Escoba Malvaceae Magnoliopsida
Solanum americanum Mill. Hierba mora Solanaceae Magnoliopsida
Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers. Sorgo de silvestre Poaceae Liliopsida
Tridax procumbens L. Falsa manzanilla Asteraceae Magnoliopsida
This scientic publication in digital format is a continuation of the Printed Review: Legal Deposit pp 196802ZU42, ISSN 0378-7818.
Grijalva-Villamar et al. Rev. Fac. Agron. (LUZ). 2026, 43(2): e264323
5-7 |
It is worth noting that C. rotundus had an IVR of 10.54 %, which is
similar to the ndings reported by Oliveira-Canuto & Oliveira-Canuto
(2021), who indicated that the Poaceae and Amaranthaceae families
were the most prevalent, although they identied C. rotundus as the
species with the highest Importance Value Ratio.
The development of phytosociological inventories enables the
precise identication of weed species, which is of great importance
in various types of crops, both annual and perennial (Moura-Filho et
al., 2015; Santos et al., 2016; Almeida et al., 2019), as they provide
a better understanding of the population characteristics of weeds as
well as other associated morphological, growth and reproductive
characteristics (Alves Albuquerque et al., 2017; Santos et al., 2018;
Prates et al., 2019), as well as the identication of exotic species that
could potentially become weeds (Mendes et al., 2018). This inventory
highlights six species of major importance in tropical zones, which
grow in disturbed environments and crop plots, most of which are
annual or perennial in growth habit (Vibrans, 2010).
Furthermore, when examining maize cultivation specically under
dierent production conditions, a high representation of the families
Poaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Cyperaceae, Fabaceae and Asteraceae has
been reported (Ferreira et al., 2019; de Souza Cruz et al., 2009; Oliveira
et al., 2014), which account for the highest numerical values in terms of
the number of individuals, frequency, density and abundance, similar to
the ndings of our phytosociological inventory survey. (Albuquerque
et al., 2014; Oliveira et al., 2014; Salaudeen et al., 2022; Tavares et al.,
2013), highlighting a certain similarity with research carried out in the
main producing countries of this grass, such as Brazil (Fontanetti et al.,
2025) and the United States (Alptekin et al., 2023).
Conclusions
On the maize farms at the Junco site, 37 weed species belonging to
17 families were identied, with Poaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Cyperaceae
and Asteraceae being the most prevalent; this reects a high diversity
in the oristic composition due to the predominance of these species.
As for the dominance of U. fasciculata, E. hirta, C. rotundus and
C. cinereum, these showed the highest values for importance, density
and frequency. This demonstrates the adaptability of these species
to disturbed conditions and plant selection patterns in intensive
agricultural systems.
In this context, a proper understanding of the oristic composition
in maize production systems becomes a fundamental tool for the
timely selection of strategies for the management and/or control of
weeds, with the aim of reducing the impact that these plant species
have on crop productivity.
Literature cited
Albuquerque, J. A., Evangelista, M. O., Mates, A. P., Alves, J. M., Oliveira, N.
T., Sediyama, T., y Silva, A. A. (2014). Occurrence of weeds in Cassava
savanna plantations in Roraima. Planta Daninha, 32(1), 91-98. https://
doi.org/10.1590/S0100-83582014000100010
Albuquerque, J. A., Santos, T. S., Castro, T. S., Melo, V. F., y Rocha, P. R.
(2017). Weed incidence after soybean harvest in no-till and conventional
tillage croprotation systems in roraima’s cerrado. Planta Daninha, 35,
e017162796. https://doi.org/10.1590/s0100-83582017350100034
Alptekin, H., Ozkan, A., Gurbuz, R., y Kulak, M. (2023). Management of Weeds
in Maize by Sequential or Individual Applications of Pre- and Post-
Emergence Herbicides. Agriculture, 13(2), 421. https://doi.org/10.3390/
agriculture13020421
Alves-Albuquerque, J.A, Sousa dos Santos, T., Santiago-Castro, T., Oliveira-
Evangelista, M., Arcanjo-Alves, J. M., Bernades-Soares, M. B., y Santos
de Menezes, P. H. (2017). Estudo orístico de plantas daninhas em cultivos
de melancia na Savana de Roraima, Brasil. Scientia Agropecuaria, 8(2),
91-98. https://doi.org/10.17268/sci.agropecu.2017.02.01
by Villa et al. (2017), which elucidated several aspects inherent to
weeds in potato cultivation in the Venezuelan Andes, where it was
established that the Asteraceae, Fabaceae and Poaceae were the most
representative families.
Similarly, these ndings are consistent with those reported by
Gámez López et al. (2011), who, when characterising the oristic
composition of an irrigated maize crop, observed that the families
Poaceae and Cyperaceae were the most abundant within the Liliopsida,
whilst the class Magnoliopsida was mainly represented by the families
Euphorbiaceae, Amaranthaceae and Scrophulariaceae. Similarly,
results from another study are consistent with those presented here,
where the weeds with the highest number of individuals were Cyperus
rotundus L. (Cyperaceae) and Rottboellia cochinchinensis (Lour.)
Clayton (Poaceae) (Blanco and Leyva, 2010).
Ecological indicators
The weeds that prevailed in terms of density and frequency were:
U. fasciculata, E. hirta, C. rotundus, C. cinereum, R. scabra, C.
hirtus, Alternanthera sp. The species U. fasciculata had the highest
abundance index (3.88 %), followed by E. hirta (3.49 %), C. cinereum
(3.38 %), C. rotundus (3.03 %) and S. tora (3 %) (Table 3).
With regard to the importance value indices (IVI) of the families,
the class Liliopsida had average values ranging from (2.45 %) to
(38.73 %), whilst the dicotyledons ranged from (1.4 %) to (35.53
%), with the families Poaceae and Cyperaceae recording the highest
IVIs, whilst within the class Magnoliopsida, the Euphorbiaceae,
Asteraceae, Rubiaceae, Malvaceae, and Amaranthaceae stood out.
The species U. fasciculata, with an IVI of 38.73 %, was the species
that stood out among the grasses; that is, this taxon exhibited 12.91
% relative importance. In turn, E. hirta had the highest IVI within the
Euphorbiaceae family at 35.53 %, and a relative importance index of
11.84 % (Figure 2).
Figure 2. Ecological indicators of weeds in maize crops in Junco,
Tosagua.
This scientic publication in digital format is a continuation of the Printed Review: Legal Deposit pp 196802ZU42, ISSN 0378-7818.
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6-7 |
Table 3. Density, frequency, abundance and importance index
of weeds associated with maize cultivation in Tosagua,
Ecuador.
Scientic name Density Frequency Abundance
Importance
index
Acnistus arborescens 0.03 0.01 1.00 1.92
Alternanthera sp. 1.71 0.17 2.56 16.81
Amaranthus dubius 0.01 0.00 1.00 1.74
Browallia americana 0.04 0.01 1.50 2.75
Capsicum annuum 0.01 0.00 1.00 1.74
Corchorus hirtus 1.80 0.21 2.18 18.08
Cordia lutea 0.03 0.01 0.50 1.38
Cordia sp 0.04 0.01 1.00 2.10
Croton lobatus 0.05 0.01 1.33 2.67
Cucumis dipsaceus 0.01 0.00 1.00 1.74
Cyanthillium
cinereum
2.48 0.18 3.38 21.68
Cyperus rotundus 3.88 0.32 3.03 31.63
Delilia sp 0.04 0.01 1.50 2.75
Desmodium incanum 0.45 0.12 0.97 7.66
Echinochloa colona 0.52 0.06 2.05 7.59
Eleusine indica 0.23 0.03 1.70 4.79
Euphorbia
heterophylla
0.03 0.00 2.00 3.36
Euphorbia hirta 4.61 0.33 3.49 35.53
Euphorbia nutans 0.19 0.04 1.17 4.05
Heliotropium
indicum
0.07 0.01 2.50 4.42
Hyptis suaveolens 0.04 0.01 1.50 2.75
Ipomea hederifolia 0.05 0.02 0.80 2.08
Ipomea sp 0.12 0.03 1.13 3.23
Leptochloa sp 0.07 0.01 1.67 3.24
Phyla nodiora 0.03 0.00 2.00 3.13
Solanum sp 0.16 0.04 1.09 3.54
Momordica
charantia
0.28 0.07 1.05 5.23
Nicotiana longiora 0.03 0.01 1.00 1.32
Urochloa fasciculata 5.23 0.34 3.88 38.73
Petiveria alliacea 0.03 0.04 0.18 1.77
Prestonia mollis 0.51 0.07 1.81 7.41
Priva lappulacea 0.27 0.04 1.54 5.06
Richardia scabra 2.11 0.28 1.88 21.56
Rottboellia
cochinchinensis
0.47 0.06 1.84 7.05
Senna tora 0.04 0.00 3.00 4.98
Sida acuta 0.43 0.06 1.68 6.66
Solanum
americanum
0.05 0.01 1.33 2.51
Sorghum halepense 0.07 0.02 1.00 2.45
Tridax procumbens 0.04 0.02 0.60 1.72
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