Response Of Striga Resistant Maize Varieties To Natural Weed Conditions and Weed Control Measures Under Tropical Rainforest Condition

Adesina GO*, Akinwale RO

Abstract


The effect of weed infestation and the impact of different weed control method on Striga resistant maize varieties were studied in a field experiment. Eighteen Striga resistant varieties including a local check were evaluated under four weed control treatments. The experiment was laid out using a split plot arrangement in a randomized complete block in two replicates. Weed control treatments {Herbicides, Manual (Hoe weeding twice 2 and 5 WAP), Weedy plot and Weed free (weeding weekly)} were considered as the main plots while varieties served as the subplots.  No significant differences were detected among weed free, manual and chemical plots, but there were significant varietal differences for some agronomic traits. Yield performance of the maize varieties differ among the treatments. For instance, in the weed free plots, Variety 5 had lowest yield of 1.8 tons/ha while variety 10 had highest yield of 4.7 tons/ha. Also, in manual treatment where weeding was done twice, lowest yield was obtained in variety 6 (0.6 ton/ha) while highest yield was recorded in variety 13 with 2.8 tons/ha.  Also, there was significant variety by treatment interaction effect for some agronomic traits. Herbicide and manual weed control methods were able to reduced weed density and biomass production when compared with what was obtained under weed free plots and maize varieties in weed free plots had the best performance in terms of grain yield and other agronomic traits followed by chemical control measures.

Keywords


Striga; Resistant; Weed Infestation; Control methods

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