Response of Weeds and Pod Yield of Some Okra Cultivars to Weed Control Treatments.

Abstract

The selection of an appropriate cultivar is very important in crop improvement. In order to determine the effect of weed control treatment on pod yield of okra cultivars, a field experiment was carried out at the Teaching and Research farm, Federal University of Technology, Minna, in 2012 and 2013 rainy seasons. The experimental design was a factorial combination of three okra cultivars (NHAe 47-4, LD 88-1 and Jokoso) and two weed control treatments (hoe weeded at 3+6+9 WAS (with remoulding of ridges at 9 WAS) and a weedy check) arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The results indicated that the most prevalent and important weed species of okra were Brachiaria lata, Cyperus esculentus,Melochia corchorifolia, Setaria barbata, Digitaria horizontalis and Ageratum conyzoides. Weed density and dry weight, as well as pod yield recorded did not vary between the cultivars. But hoe weeded plot at 3+6+9 WAS (with remoulding of ridges at 9 WAS) produced the lowest weed density and dry weight, as well as the highest pod yield of okra in both seasons. In the hoe weeded plot, green pod yield was increased significantly such that it was 67.7% over the weedy plot. Result of this study suggest that higher pod yield of okra could be achieved using either of the cultivar along with hoe weeding in the southern guinea savannah agro-ecological zone of Nigeria.