EFFECT OF PRE-EMERGENCE HERBICIDE ON THE GROWTH AND YIELD OF BAMBARA GROUNDNUT (VignasubterraneaL.) LANDRACES IN THE SUDAN SAVANNA, NIGERIA.

Abstract

ABSTRACT Trial was carried out at Dry land Teaching and Research Farm, Faculty of Agriculture, UsmanuDanfodiyo University, Sokoto. during the 2018 rainy seasonto assess the effect of pre-emergence herbicide (Pendimethalin) on the growth and yield of Bambara groundnut landraces in the Sudan Savanna Sokoto, Nigeria. The treatments consisted of Pendimethalina.i at the rate of{(0, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0,) lha-1 and a hoe weeding at (3 and 6 weeks after sowing)} with three different landraces (Karo, Bahausa, and Mai zabuwa) factorially combined making 21 treatments. Twenty one treatments combination was presented on a randomized complete block design (RCBD) replicated three times. The result shows that the difference in landraces and rates of Pendimethalin application had no significant effect on the plant height and number of leaves at 3 WAS, while significant difference is observed on the mean stand establishment count, plant height, Number of leaves per plant, weed abundance, weed dry matter and haulm yield. A total of fourteen (14) weed species were identified in the experimental field out of which eight were broadleaf and six (6) were grasses.The highest Weed Dry Matter (40gm-2) was obtained in unweeded plots sown with Karo landrace. Similar value (41.33gm-2) was obtained from the same treatment for weed abundance. The results also revealed that the highest (P<0.05) haulm yield (185gm-2) was produced by maizabuwa landrace supplied with Pendimethalin at 4.0lha-1for good weed suppression and better performance of bambara groundnut, maizabuwa landrace can be adopted with Pendimethalin at 4.0lha-1 in the study area.