EFFECTS OF NITROGEN, PERIOD OF WEED INTERFERENCE AND CHEMICAL WEED CONTROL ON OKRA (Abelmoschus e s c u l e n t u s (L.) Moench)

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EFFECTS OF NITROGEN, PERIOD OF WEED INTERFERENCE AND CHEMICAL WEED CONTROL ON OKRA (Abelmoschus e s c u l e n t u s (L.) Moench)

Abstract:

F i e l d experiments were conducted d u r i n g t h e 1984 and 1985 dry season at Kadawa in t h e Sudan savanna and d u r i n g t he wet season at Samaru in the n o r t h e r n Guinea Savanna e c o l o g i c a l zones of N i g e r i a . The aim was to study t h e e f f e c t2 of n i t r o g e n on t h e response of two v a r i e t i e s of okra (Abelmoschus e s c u l e n t u s (L. ) Moench) to v a r i o u s p e r i o d s of weed i n t e r f e r e n c e and to i d e n t i f y s u i t a b l e methods i n c l u d i n g t h e use of h e r b i c i d e s , for s e a s o n – l o n g weed c o n t r o l in t h e crop. I n the weed i n t e r f e r e n c e experiment, the two okra v a r i e t i e s , V35 and TAE-38 were s i m i l a r in growth, y i e l d and i n t h e i r r e s p o n s e s t o n i t r o g e n a p p l i c a t i o n . Variety o f o k ra had no e f f e c t on weed cover and weed d r y m a t t e r p r o d u c t i on because of t h e i r s i m i l a r growth p a t t e r n . However, p e r i o d s of weed i n t e r f e r e n c e s i g n i f i c a n t l y i n f l u e n c e d a l l t h e v a r i a b l es c o n s i d e r e d i n c l u d i n g f r u i t y i e l d . Keeping t h e crop weed-free u n t i l 3 weeks a f t e r sowing (WAS) did not prevent d e p r e s s i on i n growth and y i e l d of okra due to the adverse e f f e c t of subsequent weed i n f e s t a t i o n . Conversely, weed i n t e r f e r e n ce u n t i l 3 WAS had no adverse e f f e c t on o k r a p l a n t s . I n f e s t a t i on u n t i l 6 WAS however d e p r e s s e d the v i g o u r , h e i g h t , leaf number, shoot dry m a t t e r p r o d u c t i o n , f r u i t number and y i e l d . The crop was most c r i t i c a l l y a f f e c t e d by weed i n t e r f e r e n c e between 3 and 6 WAS, Crop kept weed-free for 12 WAS and longer had f r u it y i e l d comparable w i t h t h a t weeded throughout the growth p e r i o d. I n o r d e r to o b t a i n maximum y i e l d , it was r e q u i r e d to keep the crop weed-free for a p e r i o d of 12 weeks or more from t h e time of sowing. In the herbicide evaluation t r i a l s , the two v a r i e t i es of okra did not differ significantly in growth and yield. However, variety TAB-38 contained higher per cent crude protein but was less viscous than V35. Among the herbicide treatments, metolachlor plus prometryne at 2.0 + 1.0 kg a . i . / ha followed by supplementary hoe-weeding (at 6 WAS) was the most consistent in a l l the t r i a l s in terms of good weed control and high okra fruit yields that were comparable to three hoe-weedings. Although directed post-emergenee herbicide treatments effectively controlled weeds, they were phytotoxic to okra plant as reflected in depressed crop growth characters and low okra fruit yields. Significant effect of weed control treatments on fruit viscosity and per cent crude protein content was also observed. In the study, uncontrolled weed growth throughout the crop life-cycle depressed crop vigour, height, leaf number and shoot dry matter production. It also reduced okra fruit yields by 92% and 94% compared with the appropriate best treatments in the weed interference and chemical weed control experiments, respectively.

EFFECTS OF NITROGEN, PERIOD OF WEED INTERFERENCE AND CHEMICAL WEED CONTROL ON OKRA (Abelmoschus e s c u l e n t u s (L.) Moench)

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