Publicação on-line; 32 ref.; 7 tables; Summaries (En, Pt)

RESUMO:

O cultivo orgânico é preconizado para o capim-limão (Cymbopogon citratus (DC)
Stapf.) como planta medicinal promissora ao desenvolvimento de fármacos no Brasil.
Objetivouse avaliar técnicas de controle de plantas invasoras sobre componentes de produção de
capim limão em cultivos orgânico e convencional. Dois experimentos foram instalados sob
delineamento inteiramente casualizado, com quatro repetições, em esquema fatorial 2x2x3,
considerando-se duas áreas (orgânico e convencional) e os tratamentos combinando cobertura
morta (presente e ausente) e técnicas de controle de plantas invasoras (capina manual, roçada
e nenhuma). Altura, perfilhamento, teor e rendimento total de óleo essencial de capim-limão
no cultivo orgânico foram superiores ao convencional, mas a produtividade de biomassa aérea
seca não diferiu entre ambos. A capina, com ou sem cobertura morta, favoreceu o rendimento
de óleo no cultivo orgânico.

Palavras-chaves:planta medicinal, agricultura orgânica, controle de plantas daninhas, cobertura
morta, capim limão

ABSTRACT:

Weed control in organic and conventional crops of lemongrass. Organic
farming is recommended for lemongrass as a promising medicinal plant for drug development
in Brazil. The purpose of this paper was to evaluate the effect of the techniques to control
weed on the plant height, tillering, biomass productivity, content and yield of the essential oil
of lemon grass in organic and conventional crops. Two experiments were set in a completely
randomized design with four replications, at a 2x2x3 factorial scheme, considering two areas
(organic and conventional) and treatments combining mulching (present and absent) and weed
control techniques (hoeing, skimming and none). Plant height, tillering, content and yield of
the essential oil of lemongrass were better in the organic crop, but the biomass productivity
did not differ between both areas. The biomass production was better in the conventional crop
as to weed control, with or without mulching, and for organic crop under hoeing or skimming
with mulching. Hoeing or skimming with no mulching improved the oil content in organic crops.
Hoeing or skimming with mulching was better than any other weed control technique with no
mulching, and hoeing was better than skimming, justifying its recommendation as a technique
for this crop system.

Keywords: medicinal plant, organic farming, weed control, mulching, lemongrass,