COMPARATIVE STUDY OF HERBICIDAL EFFECT ON VEGETATIVE GROWTH AND PHENOLOGY OF EARLY SEASON MAIZE (Zea mays) VARIETY IN THE COASTAL SAVANNA ECOZONE OF GHANA

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Published: 2017-01-07

Page: 136-146


EMMANUEL LARBI *

CSIR- Oil Palm Research Institute, P.O.Box 74, Kade, Ghana.

S. ANIM-OKYERE

CSIR- Oil Palm Research Institute, P.O.Box 74, Kade, Ghana.

*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.


Abstract

Field studies were conducted to investigate the growth performance of maize (Zea mays) when subjected to chemical weed control. Four groups of herbicides; 2, 4-D (Bextra and Calliherbe), glyphosate (Kalach 360SL, Fire and Weed Out), Atrazine (Callitraz 500SC and Trazine 500SC) and Paraquat (Gramoxone Super and Benaxone) were used. Each of the named herbicides constituted a treatment, with hand weeding as the control. In all there were ten herbicide treatments with four replications. The treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design. Paraquat and glyphosate treatments were applied before sowing; Atrazine and 2, 4-D were applied two days after sowing. The compound fertilizer 15-15-15 (N-P-K) at the rate of 250 kg/ha was applied as side dressing 2 WAP. Top dressing with sulphate of ammonia at the rate of 125kg/ha was applied 6 WAP. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and correlation, was carried out using Genstat 10 statistical package. Significant differences between means were estimated by the Least Significant Difference at 5% level of significance. Evaluation of the effect of the herbicides on maize showed that the herbicides contributed largely to the growth by providing sufficient weed control and, hence, decreasing the competition offered by rapidly growing weed. However, the auxin type herbicides might impair root growth at the juvenile stage of growth resulting in high density tissue development resulting from sclerophylly which disappeared with time. Maize maximized their total leaf area at the cost of biomass assimilation efficiency per unit leaf area when subjected to herbicide treatments.

Keywords: Maize, herbicides, phenology, vegetative growth of maize


How to Cite

LARBI, E., & ANIM-OKYERE, S. (2017). COMPARATIVE STUDY OF HERBICIDAL EFFECT ON VEGETATIVE GROWTH AND PHENOLOGY OF EARLY SEASON MAIZE (Zea mays) VARIETY IN THE COASTAL SAVANNA ECOZONE OF GHANA. Journal of Global Agriculture and Ecology, 6(2), 136–146. Retrieved from https://ikprress.org/index.php/JOGAE/article/view/2380