Residual effects of legume cover plants on soil weed seed bank and weed growth in a subsequent maize crop
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Date
2009-11-03
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Weed Science Society of Nigeria
Abstract
The residual effects of six legume cover plants on soil weed seed bank and weed infestation was measured during the succeeding three years following the establishment of the legume species, at Ilorin, in the southern Guinea savanna of Nigeria. In the original study, the efficacy of six legume cover plant treatments (No-legume, Pueraria phaseoloides, Mucuna pruriens, Stylosanthes guianensis, Mucuna preta, and Mucuna jaspedea) integrated with either chemical and/or cultural weed control practices, on weed control and crop production was evaluated. The present study evaluated the effect of the above legume treatments on soil weed seed bank and weed growth in three succeeding crops. The volume of the soil weed seed bank was significantly affected by the legume cover crop treatments. Samples collected from P. phaseoloides and S. guianensis plots had similar number of weed seeds which were significantly lower than those from samples collected from plots planted to the Mucuna spp. Samples from the “No-legume cover” plots had the most numerous weed seeds. In the in situ field evaluations, none of legume cover crop treatments had an effect on weed growth on the portion of the field cultivated after 14 months of fallow growth/re-growth, during the first year of its cultivation. However, weed density and weed biomass were significantly affected by the legume cover crop treatments during the second year of cultivation of this portion of the field, as well as in the portion cultivated after 26 months of fallow growth/re-growth. In all cases, plots previously planted to P. phaseoloides and S. guianensis supported lower weed growth than the other plots. It can be concluded that the intercropping of perennating legume cover crops with arable crops can lead to reduction of weed infestation in succeeding crops, on the same field.
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Pueraria phaseolides, Mucuna spp, Stylosanthes guianensis