WEED PLANTS WITH TERRESTRIAL AND AQUATIC LIFE HABIT: PRACTICE FOR OBSERVATION

Abstract

Weeds can have different lifestyle habits, causing varied damage to the environments in which they are located. This work aims to describe a practice for observing weeds with terrestrial and aquatic life habits. It was carried out in the Weed Control discipline, of the Agronomy course, at the Federal University of Ceará, in the semester 2024.1. Weed plants with a terrestrial life habit were observed in the Agriculture Sector, of the Agricultural Sciences Center; and plants with an aquatic life habit in the Santo Anastácio Reservoir, both on the Pici Campus - Fortaleza-CE. When observing weeds with a terrestrial life habit, several species caught the students' attention, such as sedge, burr, pigweed, chicken-foot grass, trapoeraba, Serralhinha, bullwort and mat-pasto, on which information regarding biology, ecology and management was presented. In relation to weeds with an aquatic lifestyle, the main species focused on was the water hyacinth, presenting information related to its development and the damage caused. It is concluded that carrying out practical classes that enable the observation of weeds with terrestrial and aquatic life habits should be an encouraged practice, since the knowledge provided to students is essential for their training.