Abstract:
Field trials were conducted in 2018 rainy season at National Agricultural Research Institute
Banjulinding and Teaching and Research Farm of the University of The Gambia Faraba Banta to
determine the effect of various weed management strategies and groundnut varieties on weed
attribute and economics of ground production in southern Gambian. The experiment consisted of
three groundnut varieties (Senegal 28/206, Fleur 11 and Samnut 24) and ten levels of weed
management strategies (Pendimethalin at 1.0kg a.i h-1
, Pendimethalin at 1.5kg a.i ha-1
,
Quizalofop-P-Ethyl at 1.0kg a.i ha-1
, Quizalofop-P-Ethylat at1.5kg a.i ha-1
, Pendimethalin at
1.0kg a.i ha-1
followed by Quizalofop-P-Ethyl at 1.0kg a.i ha-1
, Pendimethalin at 1.0kg a.i ha-1
followed by supplementary hoe weeding at 6 weeks after sowing, Manual hoe weeding at 3 and
6 weeks after sowing, Pendimethalin at 1.5kg a.i ha-1
followed by supplementary hoe weeding at
6 weeks after sowing, Pendimethalin at 1.5kg a.i ha-1
followed by Quizalofop-P-Ethyl at 1.5kg
a.i ha-1
and Weedy check). The experiment was laid out in a Split plot design, replicated three
times with the weed management strategies as the main plots while the groundnut varieties as the
sub plots. The results revealed that, manual hoe weeding at 3 and 6 weeks after sowing recorded
the lowest weed density and highest weed control efficiency in both locations. Weedy check had
the lowest weed control efficiency (11.1 & 17.5%) in both locations. Application of
pendimethalin at 1.5kg a.i ha-1
followed by post-emergence application of quizalofop-p-ethyl at
1.5kg a.i ha-1 had higher pod yield (1149 kg ha-1
) at Banjulinding. Pendimethalin at 1.5 kg
a.i.ha-1
had the highest at UTG Faraba Banta. These strategies of weed management proves to be more economical than the other strategies. Samnut 24 out yielded other local varieties tested and
has an added advantage of competing with weed better than the other varieties. Further research
on the effect of these weed managements strategies on the oil content and the acceptability of
this introduced variety in The Gambian is recommended. |
