scholarly journals WEED CONTROL UNDERSTORY WEED MANAGEMENT IN COCONUT LANDS

CORD ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 8 (01) ◽  
pp. 34
Author(s):  
L. V. K. LIYANAGE ◽  
M. DE. S. LIYANAGE

Coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) is by far the most extensively cultivated plantation crop in Sri Lanka. It is essentially a small holder crop comprising about 86% of small. holdings and homesteads and the balance belonging to the estate sector. The growth habit of the palm and its canopy structure requires a wide, spacing between palms, which permits abundant sunlight to the understory. As a result, the unutilised space beneath the plantation becomes invaded by a wide range of perennial and annual weed species. Such weeds invariably compete with coconut for soil moisture and nutrients, affecting its growth and yield and obstructing routine estate practices. Management of the understory weed growth is, therefore, considered an essential step in maintaining the plantation. In fact, the cost of weeding accounts for a substantial proportion of the total recurrent expenditure for maintenance.

2019 ◽  
pp. 43-47
Author(s):  
Kugbe Xorse Joseph ◽  
Salifu Abdallah ◽  
Ebenezer Sam Kofi

This paper examines the effects of planting date (early planting, mid-season planting and late-season planting) and weeding regimes (two weeding before harvesting, three weeding before harvesting and weed free plots) on yield of Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench) in the Tolon district of Northern Ghana. The results show that different weed species, categorized as broad leaves, grasses and sedges, were dominant depending on the planting date and weeding regime. While there was no significant interaction (p>0.05) between planting date and weeding regime on fruit yield, nor significant impact of planting date as a sole treatment on fruit yield, the results showed the existence of significant effect of weeding regime as a sole treatment on yield and yield parameters of okra (p<0.05). Triple weeding resulted in okra yields comparable to the weed-free treatments (mean of 6000 kg/ha to 6300 kg/ha, p>0.05) but significantly higher (p<0.05) and about triple the yield observed in the treatments with double weeding regimes (mean of 1800 kg/ha to 2300 kg/ha). As cost of production, besides the cost of weeding, remains same for all treatments, Triple weeding is recommended for the small-holder farmer. It is associated with less labor cost compared to continuous weeding in the weed free treatments, and the triple gains in yield could offset the additional labor cost incurred in the triple weeding compared to the double weeding regimes.


Food Research ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 382-385
Author(s):  
D. Thumrongchote

Coconut sugar is a local sugar from the blossoms of a coconut tree. It has been considered a healthy sugar due to its low glycemic index. There is an attempt to add other sugar to it to lower the cost. Thus, this research aimed to identify Thai coconut sugar and to establish models for predicting the moisture content of coconut sugar by using FT-NIR spectroscopy. Thai coconut sugar samples were purchased from local grocery stores in four provinces, online, and the community market. Their moisture contents were varied and equilibrated for 24 hrs prior to the measurements of moisture and FT-NIR spectra. The results showed that FT-NIR spectra of Thai coconut sugar differ from sucrose, glucose and fructose at the absorbance spectrum of 5379-5011 cm-1 . FT-NIR spectroscopy of 54 known moisture samples of Thai coconut sugar was used to obtain a model to predict moisture content. The predicted equation, using the PLS technique with the Spectrum Quant program, was found to give a standard error of prediction (SEP) 0.077% (less than 0.10%), indicating a non-destructive method of accurately and precisely predicting moisture levels in the coconut sugar. The results obtained suggested that FTNIR spectroscopy has the potential to be used as a tool to identify Thai coconut sugar accurately. It can rapidly predict the moisture content in the sample which will be useful in quality control standards.


Weed Science ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 58 (4) ◽  
pp. 503-510 ◽  
Author(s):  
Doug Doohan ◽  
Robyn Wilson ◽  
Elizabeth Canales ◽  
Jason Parker

The human dimension of weed management is most evident when farmers make decisions contrary to science-based recommendations. Why do farmers resist adopting practices that will delay herbicide resistance, or seem to ignore new weed species or biotypes until it is too late? Weed scientists for the most part have ignored such questions or considered them beyond their domain and expertise, continuing to focus instead on fundamental weed science and technology. Recent pressing concerns about widespread failure of herbicide-based weed management and acceptability of emerging technologies necessitates a closer look at farmer decision making and the role of weed scientists in that process. Here we present a circular risk-analysis framework characterized by regular interaction with and input from farmers to inform both research and on-farm risk-management decisions. The framework utilizes mental models to probe the deeply held beliefs of farmers regarding weeds and weed management. A mental model is a complex, often hidden web of perceptions and attitudes that govern how we understand and respond to the world. One's mental model may limit ability to develop new insights and adopt new ways of management, and is best assessed through structured, open-ended interviews that enable the investigator to exhaust the subjects inherent to a particular risk. Our assessment of farmer mental models demonstrated the fundamental attribution error whereby farmers attributed problems with weed management primarily to factors outside of their control, such as uncontrolled weed growth on neighboring properties and environmental factors. Farmers also identified specific processes that contribute to weed problems that were not identified by experts; specifically, the importance of floods and faulty herbicide applications in the spread of weeds. Conventional farmers expressed an overwhelming preference for controlling weeds with herbicides, a preference that was reinforced by their extreme dislike for weeds. These preferences reflect a typical inverse relationship between perceived risk and benefit, where an activity or entity we perceive as beneficial is by default perceived as low risk. This preference diminishes the ability of farmers to appreciate the risks associated with overreliance on herbicides. Likewise, conventional farmers saw great risk and little benefit in preventive measures for weed control. We expect that thorough two-way communication and a deeper understanding of farmer belief systems will facilitate the development of audience-specific outreach programs with an enhanced probability of affecting better weed management decisions.


2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (04) ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Sivagamy ◽  
C. Chinnusamy ◽  
P. Parasuraman

Weeds are generally hardy species having fast growth, deep root system and capable of competing very efficiently with cultivated crops for the available resources and adversely affect the crop growth and yield. Weed management systems that rely on post emergence control assume that crops can tolerate competition for certain periods of time without suffering yield losses. Initial slow growth particularly at early crop growth stages and wider plant spacing of maize crop encourages fast and vigorous growth of weeds. It is of paramount importance that, competition from weeds must be minimized to achieve optimum yield. Among the different weed control methods, chemical method bears many advantages in suppressing weed growth and to get healthy and vigorous crop stand. Non-selective herbicide molecules with a variety of mode of action were discovered, developed and marketed for successful weed control programme.


2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-27
Author(s):  
Y. Garba

Chicken weed is a significant weed in India and it occurs under onion cultivated field at Birnin Kebbi in the Sudan Savannah, Nigeria. On-farm experiment was conducted at Birnin Kebbi during the 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 dry season to evaluate the effect of plant population and weed control methods on the management of chicken weed (Portulaca quadrifida) alongside other weeds in onion field. The experiment consisted of three plant populations (500,000, 333,333 and 250,000 plants per hectare) and twelve weed control methods (Pendimethalin at 1.0 kg a.i. ha-1, + 1Hw; pendimethalin at 1.5 kg a.i. ha-1 + fluazifop-p-butyl at 2.0 kg a.i. ha-1; pendimethalin at 2.0 kg a.i. ha-1; butachlor at 2.0 kg a.i. ha-1 + 1Hw; butachlor at 2.8 kg a.i. ha-1 + oxyfluorfen at 1.0 kg a.i. ha-1; butachlor at 3.6 kg a.i. ha-1; fluazifop-p-butyl at 2.0 kg a.i. ha-1; oxyfluorfen at 1.0 kg a.i. ha-1 + 1Hw; hoe weeding at 3 (WAT); hoe weeding at 3 and 6 WAT; weed free and weedy check). The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete Block design replicated three times. Results showed that weed, growth and yield parameters were not significantly affected by plant population. Pendimethalin at 1.5 kg a.i. ha-1 + fluazifop-p-butyl at 2.0 kg a.i. ha-1 and weed free plots consistently recorded the lowest weed cover and highest weed control efficiency. Butachlor at 2.0 kg a.i. ha-1 + 1 Hw recorded the lowest crop injury score. Increase in plant height was observed when pendimethalin at 1.0 and 1.5 kg a.i. ha-1 + 1 Hw and fluazifop-p-butyl at 2.0 kg a.i. ha-1 respectively was applied, while application of pendimethalin at 2.0 kg a.i. ha-1 and butachlor at 2.0 kg a.i. ha-1 + 1 Hw recorded highest number of leaves and leaf area. Cured bulb and marketable bulb yield were greater with the use of pendimethalin and butachlor at 1.0 and 1.5 kg a.i. ha-1 + 1 Hw and the pooled data respectively. Application of pendimethalin and butachlor at the rate of 1.0 and 2.0 kg a.i. ha-1 followed by 1 Hw at 6 WAT respectively was therefore recommended for the control of chicken weed alongside other weed species in the ecology


CORD ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 20 (01) ◽  
pp. 34
Author(s):  
R. Dhanapal ◽  
H. P. Maheswarappa ◽  
P. Subramanian ◽  
Ajay Kumar Upadhyay

A field experiment on drip irrigation for Chowghat Orange Dwarf X West Coast Tall (COD X WCT) coconut hybrid was conducted in laterite soil at Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Kasaragod (Kerala, India) to study the drip irrigation requirement and its influence on growth and yield.  The treatments included were three levels of drip irrigation (at 33, 66 and 100% E0 daily), basin irrigation  (100%  E0)  and  rainfed  control.     The  experimental  results  revealed  that  annual  leaf production and leaf nutrient status of coconut palm was significantly higher in the irrigated treatments compared to the rainfed control. The female flower production and nut yield with 66 per cent of Eo was on par with 100 per cent of Eo through drip and 100 per cent of Eo through basin irrigation and significantly  superior  compared  to drip irrigation  at 33 per cent of E0  and rainfed  control.   Drip irrigation equal to 66 per cent of open pan evaporation (Eo) proved to be the economically efficient method of irrigation with water saving of 34 per cent compared to 100 per cent of Eo through basin and drip method.


2015 ◽  
Vol 44 ◽  
pp. 15-24
Author(s):  
Gabriel Olulakin Adesina ◽  
Yetunde Bunmi Oyeyiola ◽  
Kasali Amofe Adelasoye ◽  
Akinpelu Festus Akin

A field work was carried out to investigate the extent to which selected soil chemical properties can influence weed species distribution. There were sixteen treatments of two factors (Fertilizer type and weeding regimes) laid out in RCBD. The treatments included four fertilizer types; no fertilizer (F1), inorganic fertilizer – NPK 15:15:15 applied at 100 kg NPK/ha (F2), organic fertilizer – phosphocompost applied at 2.5 t/ha and organomineral – 50% NPK 15:15:15 plus 50% phosphocompost. Four weeding regimes: weedy treatment (W1), weeding once (W2), weeding twice (W3) and weed free (W4). Weed free and weed once significantly improved maize growth and yield parameter under inorganic and organomineral fertilizer types. Increasing soil pH, organic carbon and available phosphorus significantly reduced total weed biomass with plot that received no fertilizer been responsible for highest weed population. In organic fertilizer treatment significantly reduced soil pH from the initial 6.5 to 6.0 though, it combination with weed once or weed twice gave highest grain yield. Better nutrition (in terms of improved soil nutrient especially macro nutrient and organic carbon) when combined with weeding once can ascertain proper weed management and sustainable maize production.


1996 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 327-336 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Rolf Olsen ◽  
Jayson K. Harper ◽  
William S. Curran

A computer model which selects least cost herbicide programs given a minimum desired level of weed control could provide growers with economical weed management options. Using an integer programming approach, a herbicide selection model was developed for corn production under Pennsylvania conditions. Models for three rotations (corn-soybean, corn-corn, and corn-alfalfa) under three tillage systems (conventional tillage, reduced tillage, and no-till) that evaluated 21 soil-applied and 13 postemergence herbicide options for 24 weeds were developed. Each model minimizes the cost of a herbicide program subject to a desired level of weed control. By selecting the weed species to be controlled and the level of control desired, customized herbicide programs can be generated. The models can also be used to evaluate the cost of changing the level of control desired for an individual weed species or set of weeds.


Agronomy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 523 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hossein Ghanizadeh ◽  
Kerry C. Harrington

The alleles responsible for herbicide resistance in weeds can result in a fitness cost within affected plants. Over 200 cases of resistance to triazine herbicides have been confirmed in a wide range of weed species globally. In New Zealand, Chenopodium album L. was the first species reported as resistant to triazines. Several studies have already shown that triazine resistance in weeds is associated with fitness costs. Our current study provides further information about fitness penalties caused by triazine resistance during the vegetative growth phase of C. album. Triazine-resistant phenotypes produced less biomass and were shorter than susceptible ones prior to the onset of flowering. At an early stage of growth, triazine-resistant plants had lower photosynthetic efficacy and growth rates than susceptible plants, indicated by lower net assimilation rate (NAR) and relative growth rate (RGR), respectively. However, at a later stage of growth, the resistant plants had greater RGR values than susceptible phenotypes, though there were no significant differences in NAR between triazine-resistant and susceptible plants at this later stage. The triazine-resistant plants had less capacity for vegetative growth than susceptible plants during competition with wheat, indicating less ability to capture resources by triazine-resistant plants under competition. Overall, this study has revealed that the triazine resistance allele caused a substantial fitness cost to C. album only at the early phase of vegetative growth stage; thus, the use of crop competition to try managing triazine-resistant C. album plants should occur during this early phase.


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