Responses of Pre-emergence Herbicides for the Management of Annual Weeds in Highland Maize in Central Ethiopia

Abstract

A field trial was conducted at Holeta Agricultural Research Station and Medegudina, Central Ethiopia, during the summer season of 2021 to study the effects of different weed control methods against annual grasses and broadleaf weeds in summer planted Maize. The experiment included five treatments: AGENT 0.6 L ha^-1, Primagramgold 660 SC 3L ha^-1, S-Maspor 960 EC 3L ha^-1, weed-free and weedy check. Major weeds were Polygonum nepalense, Raphanus raphanistrum, Guizotia scabra, Galinsoga pulviflora, Corrigiola capensis, Caylusea abyssinica, Plantago lanceoleta, Spergula arvensis, Medicago polymorpha and Phalaris paradoxa. The result signified that the most dominant weed species was Spergula arvensis with a relative density of 18.28 %. Statistically non-significant results due to application of treatments except were recorded on cob per plant in both locations.  The results showed that the most effective treatment  was  the application of  AGENT producing the results of increased stand count by 63.3 %,  increased grain yield by 7.9 folds and decreased yield losses 85.3% as compared to weedy check plots which could be followed by the application of  weed free with  increased weed control efficacy by 100%, reducing the dry matter of weed by 313% and increased thousand kernel weight by 37% as compared to weedy check plots.   Hence, the study concludes the application of AGENT 0.6 L/ha and weed-free were more effective as compared to all other treatments without compromising on maize grain yield loss due to weeds.

Keywords: affect, application, control, observation,  significant

DOI: 10.7176/JNSR/14-5-02

Publication date: April 30^th 2023