Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-mkpzs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T19:24:32.507Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Cover crops for cogongrass (Imperata cylindrica) management and effects on subsequent corn yield

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

David Chikoye  and
Friday Ekeleme
Friday Ekeleme
Affiliation:
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, PMB 5320 Ibadan, Nigeria
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Cogongrass is widespread in the moist savanna and forest zones of West Africa, where recurrent fires, tillage, weeding, and other farm activities continuously disturb land. Field experiments were conducted in the forest–savanna transition zone of Nigeria from 1996 to 2000 to evaluate the potential of two cover crops (velvetbean and tropical kudzu) for reclaiming land that had been abandoned to cogongrass. Cover crops were grown on the same plots for 3 consecutive yr (1996 to 1998). The control was natural fallow dominated by cogongrass in 1996 to 1998. Corn was planted in all treatments in 1999 and 2000. Total dry matter of cogongrass before the treatments were imposed was 9,000 kg ha−1, and rhizomes contributed 49% of this. At all subsequent sampling dates, plots with cover crops had lower cogongrass shoot and rhizome dry matter than plots without cover crops. Shoot dry matter was reduced to zero 65 wk after planting in both cover crops; rhizome dry matter was reduced to zero after 97 wk in velvetbean plots and after 105 wk in tropical kudzu plots. Corn grain yield was 60% higher in plots with tropical kudzu and 102% higher in plots with velvetbean than in control plots without any previous cover crops. Further research is required to integrate use of cover crops with other control methods for improved cogongrass management.

Keywords

Cogongrass, Imperata cylindrica (L.) Beauv. IMPCYcorn, Zea mays L. ‘Oba Super II’velvetbean, Mucuna cochinchinensis (Lour.) A. Chev. MUCCOtropical kudzu, Pueraria phaseoloides (Roxb.) Benth. PUEPHCropland reclamationtropical kudzu fallowvelvetbean fallowweed species diversity
Type
Weed Management
Information
Weed Science , Volume 51 , Issue 5 , October 2003 , pp. 792 - 797
Copyright
Copyright © Weed Science Society of America 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Literature Cited

Akobundu, I. O. 1981. Weed control in corn-cassava intercrop. Pages 124–128 in Terry, E. R., Oduro, K. A., and Caveness, F. E. eds. Tropical Root Crops: Research Strategies for the 1980s. Ottawa, Canada: International Research Development Center 163e.Google Scholar
Akobundu, I. O. and Ekeleme, F. 2000. Effect of method of Imperata cylindrica management on corn grain yield in the derived savanna of south-western Nigeria. Weed Res 40:335–341.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Akobundu, I. O., Udensi, U. E., and Chikoye, D. 2000. Mucuna spp. suppresses speargrass (Imperata cylindrica) and increases corn yield. Int. J. Pest Manag 46:103–108.Google Scholar
Anonymous. 1977. Mucuna cochinchinensis. A potential short-term legume cover plant. Plant. Bull. Malays 150:78–82.Google Scholar
Chikoye, D. and Ekeleme, F. 2001. Growth attributes of ten Mucuna accessions and their effect on speargrass (Imperata cylindrica) dry matter. Biol. Agric. Hortic 18:191–201.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chikoye, D., Ekeleme, F., and Udensi, U. E. 2001. Cogongrass suppression by intercropping cover crops in corn/cassava systems. Weed Sci 49:658–667.Google Scholar
Chikoye, D., Manyong, V. M., Carsky, R. J., Gbehounou, G., and Ahanchede, A. 2002. Response of speargrass (Imperata cylindrica) to cover crops integrated with hand weeding, and chemical control in maize and cassava. Crop Prot 21:145–156.Google Scholar
Chikoye, D., Manyong, V. M., and Ekeleme, F. 2000. Characteristics of cogongrass (Imperata cylindrica)-dominated fields in West Africa: crops, soil properties, farmer perceptions and management strategies. Crop Prot 19:481–487.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dalziel, J. M. and Hutchinson, J. 1937. The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa. London: The Crown Agents for the Colonies. Pp 464–465.Google Scholar
De Rouw, A. 1995. The fallow period as a weed-break in shifting cultivation (tropical wet forests). Agric. Ecosyst. Environ 54:31–43.Google Scholar
Eussen, J. H. H. 1980. Biological and ecological aspects of alang-alang (Imperata cylindrica (L.) Beauv). Biotrop Spec. Publ 5:15–20.Google Scholar
Eussen, J. H. H. 1981. The effect of light intensity on some growth characteristics of alang-alang (Imperata cylindrica (L.) Beauv. var. major). Biotrop Bull 18:3–12.Google Scholar
Hairiah, K. and van Noordwijk, M. 1987. Cover crops on acid soils: experiences in the humid tropics. ILEA 3:9.Google Scholar
Holm, L. G., Plucknett, D. L., Pancho, J. V., and Herberger, J. P. 1977. Imperata cylindrica (L.) Beauv. Pages 62–71 in The World's Worst Weeds: Distribution and Biology. Honolulu, Hawaii: University Press of Hawaii.Google Scholar
Hulugalle, N. R., Lal, R., and Ter Kuille, C. H. H. 1986. Amelioration of soil physical properties by mucuna after mechanized land clearing of a tropical rain forest. Soil Sci 141:219–224.Google Scholar
Ivens, G. W. 1980. Imperata cylindrica (L) Beauv. in West African agriculture. Biotrop Spec. Bull 5:149–156.Google Scholar
Jagtap, S. S. 1995. Environmental characterization of the moist lowland savanna of Africa. Pages 9–30 in Kang, B. T., Akobundu, I. O., Manyong, V. M., Carsky, R. J., Sanginga, N., and Kueneman, E. A. eds. Moist Savannas of Africa: Potentials and Constraints for Crop Production. Ibadan, Nigeria: International Institute of Tropical Agriculture.Google Scholar
Littell, R. C., Milliken, G. A., Stroup, W. W., and Wolfinger, R. D. 1996. SAS Systems for Mixed Models. Cary, NC: Statistical Analysis Systems. 633 p.Google Scholar
Macdicken, K. G., Hairiah, K. L., Otsamo, A., Duguma, B., and Majid, N. M. 1997. Shade-based control of Imperata cylindrica: tree fallows and cover crops. Agrofor. Syst 36:131–149.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moosavi-Nia, H. and Dore, J. 1979. Factors affecting glyphosate activity in Imperata cylindrica (L.) Beauv. and Cyperus rotundus: effect of shade. Weed Res 19:321–327.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Patterson, D. T. 1980. Shading effects on growth and partitioning of plant biomass in cogongrass (Imperata cylindrica) from shaded and exposed habitats. Weed Sci 28:735–740.Google Scholar
Sanginga, N., Ibewiro, B., Houngnandan, P., Vanlauwe, B., Okogun, J. A., Akobundu, I. O., and Versteeg, M. 1996. Evaluation of symbiotic properties and nitrogen contribution of mucuna to corn grown in the derived savanna of West Africa. Plant Soil 179:119–129.Google Scholar
[SAS] Statistical Analysis Systems. 1995. SAS User's Guide: Statistics. Cary, NC: Statistical Analysis Systems Institute. 956 p.Google Scholar
Soerjani, M. 1970. Alang-Alang; Imperata cylindrica (L.) Beauv. Pattern of growth as related to its problem of control. Biotrop Bull 1:1–70. Bogor, Indonesia: Regional Center for Tropical Biology.Google Scholar
Steel, D. G. R. and Torrie, J. H. 1980. Principles and Procedures of Statistics: A Biometrical Approach. New York: McGraw-Hill. Pp. 550–551.Google Scholar
Tarawali, G., Manyong, V. M., Carsky, R. J., Vissoh, P. V., Osei-Bonsu, P., and Galiba, M. 1999. Adoption of improved fallows in West Africa: lessons from mucuna and stylo case studies. Agrofor. Syst 47:93–122.Google Scholar
Terry, P. J., Adjers, G., Akobundu, I. O., Anoka, A. U., Drilling, M. E., Tjitrosemito, S., and Utomo, M. 1997. Herbicides and mechanical control of Imperata cylindrica as a first step in grassland rehabilitation. Agrofor. Syst 36:151–179.Google Scholar
Townson, J. K. 1991. Imperata cylindrica and its control. Weed Abstr 40:457–458.Google Scholar
Udensi, U. E., Akobundu, I. O., Ayeni, A. O., and Chikoye, D. 1999. Management of cogongrass (Imperata cylindrica) with velvetbean (Mucuna pruriens var. utilis) and herbicides. Weed Technol 13:201–208.Google Scholar
Versteeg, M. V. and Koudokpon, V. 1990. Mucuna helps control Imperata in southern Benin. W. Afr. Farming Syst. Res. Network Bull 7:7–8.Google Scholar