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This study evaluated the early establishment phase of various monocultures and mixed species plantings of Agropyron desertorum (AGDE), Medicago sativa (MESA), and Atriplex canescens (ATCA). The study was conducted under both greenhouse and field conditions. In the green-house, the experimental design was a split-plot, randomized-block design in time, using transplanted seedlings. The treatments were exposed to three water levels to determine species response to varying moisture availability. Plastic pots of 15.4 cm (diameter) by 17.9 cm (depth) were filled with 2,800 g of sandy-loam soil and brought to field capacity. The pots were weighted twice weekly and the water lost to evapotranspiration was replaced. The plants were measured for plant height on six occasions at two week intervals. On the last measurement date, plants were harvested for above-and-below ground biomass. The field used the species treatment as in the greenhouse study and these were hand sown in 1 m2 plots. Using a line-source sprinkler system, species responses at four water levels were examined. Soil water content in the various field plots was determined at various depths via access tubes and a neutron soil moisture probe. The experimental design was a split-plot design in time. Seedling emergence was recorded daily for the first 35 days after seeding. Plant height was measured six times during the growing season. All the species were clipped, oven-dried, and weighed at the end of the experimental period in 1982. In the greenhouse, AGDE was the dominant species, yet produced more in the MESA combination. MESA exhibited a marked decrease in production when grown with AGDE. ATCA showed a remarkable ability to survive under high water stress. Variable soil water content created in the field resulted in significant differences in germination, emergence, and establishment among planting treatments. MESA germinated and emerged faster than AGDE and ATCA, allowing it to utilize water and nutrient resources earlier than the competing species. The greatest shoot production occurred when MESA grew alone. In the AGDE-MESA combination, shading apparently reduced AGDE growth and shoot production at the two most favorable water levels. ATCA exhibited poor germination and emergence in treatments with low soil water availability.

The spider mite occurrence, on soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merril), is sporadic and associated whit dry periods. Recently, in continuous years, was reported mite outbreaks in soybean, in some sites of Rio Grande do Sul State. In this context two research was conducted, one in summer crop 2004/05 and other in 2005/06. The first was carried for study the mite occurrence and geographic distribution, on soybean, from some place of Rio Grande do Sul State. The second was conducted for study the effect of the two soybean cultivars and of some weed management systems on mite density and study their population dynamic on soybean. In summer crop 2004/05 was carried some mite samplings in soybean field at State. The mite species found, all beloung to the Tetranychidae family, are Mononychellus planki (McGregor), Tetranychus desertorum Banks, T. gigas Pritchard & Baker, T. ludeni Zacher and T. urticae Koch. Most of this species are well distributed in the diferents sampling regions of this study. From the results was made a species distribution map and a taxonomic key. In summer crop 2005/06, in Santa Maria, RS, 11 treatments was study. Its was constitute in two soybean cultivars, one transgenic glyphosato-tolerant and other non-transgenic, every one whit five weed management systems: (1) without management; (2) hand management; (3) herbicide bentazone + sethoxydim; (4) bentazone only; (5) sethoxydim only. The 11th treatment was the herbicide glyphosate sprayed on the transgenic soybean. The mite species found in this study are M. planki and T. gigas. The weed management systems is more determinant, on the spider mite population on soybean, than the soybean cultivar. The mite population presenteded inverse correlation whit weed infestation and weed density. The climatic fators determined the mite population flutuation and the population peak occured in the initial period of soybean pods development. / A ocorrência de ácaros-praga em soja (Glycine max (L.) Merril) é esporádica e está, comumente, associada à períodos de estiagem. Recentemente, em safras seguidas, foram observados ataques severos de ácaros à soja em algumas regiões do estado do Rio Grande do Sul. Neste contexto foram realizados dois experimentos, um na safra agrícola 2004/05 e outro em 2005/06. O primeiro teve objetivo de estudar a ocorrência e a distribuição geográfica de ácaros fitófagos, associados à soja, em municípios de seis regiões produtoras do estado do Rio Grande do Sul. O segundo objetivou avaliar o efeito de duas cultivares de soja e de diferentes sistemas de manejo de plantas daninhas sobre a densidade populacional de ácaros em soja e estudar a dinâmica populacional destes ácaros na cultura. Em 2004/05 foram realizadas amostragens de ácaros em lavouras de soja no Estado. As espécies de ácaros encontradas são Mononychellus planki (McGregor), Tetranychus desertorum Banks, T. gigas Pritchard & Baker, T. ludeni Zacher e T. urticae Koch, todos são tetraniquídeos. A maior parte destas espécies estiveram bem distribuídas nas diferentes regiões amostradas neste levantamento. Com base nestes resultados foi elaborado um mapa com a distribuição das espécies e uma chave de identificação. Em 2005/06 foram estudados, em Santa Maria, RS, 11 tratamentos. Estes consistiram em duas cultivares de soja, uma transgênica glifosato-tolerante e a outra não-transgênica, cada uma sob cinco sistemas de manejo de plantas daninhas: (1) sem controle; (2) arranquio manual; (3) manejo tradicional com os herbicidas bentazona e setoxidim; (4) apenas com bentazona; (5) apenas com setoxidim. E adicionalmente um tratamento com o herbicida glifosato sobre a cultivar de soja transgênica. Os ácaros-praga ocorrentes foram M. planki e T. gigas. A densidade populacional destes ácaros em soja foi mais afetada pelos sistemas de manejo de plantas daninhas do que pela cultivar, e esteve inversamente correlacionada com a quantidade e diversidade de plantas daninhas. A flutuação populacional destes ácaros foi influenciada por fatores climáticos e o pico populacional ocorreu na fase de início da formação de legumes da soja.