Abstract

Field experiments were conducted during 2013-2014 crop seasons at Ambo and Guder to study the effect of weed control methods on weed dynamics in maize (Zea mays L.) variety BH-660 in randomized complete block design with three replications. Five treatments, including Nicosulfuron (Arrow 75 WDG) at 0.09 kg ha^-1 + silwet gold (adjuvant) at 0.10%, s-metolachlor 290 + Atrazine (Primagram) at 3.00 kg ha^-1, s-metolachlor (dual gold) 1.5 kg ha^-1, and hand weeding and weedy check (control) were used. Effect of different herbicides on weed density was significant. The lowest weed density (0.71 and 4.99 m^-2) was recorded in plot treated with hand weeding followed by Nicosulfuron at 0.09 kg ha^-1 (3.68 and 5.92 m^-2) whereas the maximum was recorded in weedy check (14.16 and 24.24 m^-2) in Guder and Ambo, respectively. Like density and dry weight of weeds, the minimum was observed in hand weeding and hoeing followed by Nicosulfuron at 0.09 kg ha^-1 which is not significantly different from s-metolachlor at 1.50 kg ha^-1 and the lowest dry weight of weeds (0.0 and 26.67 gm^-2) was recorded in plot treated with hand weeding  followed by Nicosulfuron at 0.90 kg ha^-1 (2.13 and 65.60 gm^-2), however, non-significant difference existed among them in Guder, whereas the highest was observed in weedy check (170.93, 382.13 gm^-2) in Guder and Ambo, respectively. Moreover, those treatments also significantly increased the yield and yield component of maize in both locations.

Key words:  Weed, weed control methods, herbicides, maize yield.