EFFECT OF CHEMICAL WEED CONTROL AND INTRA-ROW SPACING ON THE GROWTH AND YIELD OF POPCORN ( Zea mays L. Var. everta) IN THE NORTHERN GUINEA SAVANNA OF NIGERIA
EFFECT OF CHEMICAL WEED CONTROL AND INTRA-ROW SPACING ON THE GROWTH AND YIELD OF POPCORN ( Zea mays L. Var. everta) IN THE NORTHERN GUINEA SAVANNA OF NIGERIA
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Date
1997-11
Authors
GANA, ANDREW KOLO
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Abstract
Field trials were conducted at the Institute for
Agricultural Research Farm, Samaru (11° 11 N.07° 38'E) in
the northern Guinea Savanna Ecological Zone of Nigeria to
study the effect of chemical weed control and intra-row
spacing on the growth and yield of popcorn (Zea. mays L.
Var. everta) in 1995 and 1996 wet seasons.
The treatments tested consisted of eight pre-mergence
herbicides supplemented with one hoe-weeding at 7 weeks
after sowing (WAS). These were compared with three hoeweedings
at 3, 6 and 9 WAS and a weedy check. These were
tested under spacings of 15, 30 and 45cm. The treatments
were laid out in a split plot design with three
replications .
In both years of experimentation, the use of
herbicides (except metolachlor + metobromuron at 1.0 +
1.0kg a.i./ha) and hoe-weeding consistently resulted in
significantly lower weed cover score, weed dry matter
production and higher popcorn grain yield than the weedy
check. However, the most promising herbicide treatments
were pro-emergence app]ication of metolachlor at 2.0 kg
a. i./ha and its combination with atrazine at 1.0 + 1.0 kg
a.i./ha and 1.2 5 + 1.25 kg a.i./ha each followed by
supplementary hoe-weeding at 7 WAS. These treatments
resulted in effective weed control and higher popcorn grain
yields than other herbicide treatments.
In both years, crop planted at intra-row spacing of
15cm on 75 cm ridges resulted in significantly lower weed
cover score than those of 30 and 45cm spacings at 6 and 9
WAS. Crop vigour and number of leaves per plant at 6 WAS,
plant height and leaf area index at 6 and 9 WAS, total dry
matter production per plant at harvest, cob weight, number
of cobs per plot, cob yield and grain yield (kg/ha) in both
years also increased with decrease in intra-row spacing.
The Interaction between weed control treatments and
intra-row spacing on weed cover score at 9 WAS, weed dry
matter production, cob yield and grain yield in both years
were significant. In this, interaction mixture of
metolachlor plus atrazine at 1.0 + 1.0 kg a.i./ha applied
pre-emergonce under the intra-row spacing of 30cm combined
effective weed control with high pop-corn grain yield
comparable to the hoe-weeded control. Unrestricted weed
growth throughout the crop life cycle resulted in 83.8 and
72.9% reduction in popcorn grain yield compared to the
maximum obtained in each trial in 1995 and 1996 wet.
seasons, respectively.
Description
A thesis submitted to the
Post-graduate school
Ahmadu Bello University
in partial fulfilment of the
requirement for the degree of
Master of Science in Agronomy
DEPARTMENT OF AGRONOMY
FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE
AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY
ZARIA, NIGERIA
NOVEMBER, 1997
Keywords
CHEMICAL WEED CONTROL,, INTRA-ROW SPACING,, POPCORN,, ( Zea mays L. Var. everta),, NORTHERN GUINEA,, SAVANNA OF NIGERIA