Monitoring of the Community of Scandent Weeds in Yerba Mate (Ilex paraguariensis A. St. Hil., Aquifoliaceae) cultivated in North-Eastern Argentina

Abstract

Perennial crops account for 10% of the world’s cultivated area. In Argentina, yerba mate is grown within complex plant communities where scandent weeds are major challenges. We conducted bimonthly vegetation censuses to evaluate plant communities in yerba mate fields. These data were used to compare species presence-absence across the four seasons from 2018 to 2023. We grouped the censused species into scandent and non-scandent. The relative frequencies of the species analysed showed minor seasonal variation (chi-square = 2.0802, df = 3, p-value = 0.5559). These results indicated that frequency patterns remained stable throughout the observation period. Consequently, information on species richness and frequency may inform integrated management strategies for these challenges. Although this work focused on yerba mate, the monitoring methodology can be adapted and applied to other perennial crops of agronomic interest.

Highligths:

• The cultivation of yerba mate is accompanied by a rich and complex plant community in North-Eastern Argentina.
• Bimonthly vegetatiion censuces conducted between 2018 and 2023 allowed a seasonal comparison of plant species presence-absense in yerba mate fields.
• Weed flora was classified into scandent and non scandent species to evaluate their relative frequencies within the crop system.
• Species aptterns showed no significant seasonal variation, remaining stable throughout the study period (χ² = 2.08; p = 0.56).
• Species richness and frequency data provide a robust basis for integrated Weed management strategies and can be applied to other perennial cropping systems.