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Characterization of Legume Cover Crops for Weed Suppression in the Moist Savanna of Nigeria

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Friday Ekeleme ,
I. Okezie Akobundu ,
R. Omosuyi Fadayomi ,
David Chikoye  and
Yekeen A. Abayomi
Friday Ekeleme
Affiliation:
Michael Okpara University, PMB 7267, Umudike, Abia State, Nigeria
I. Okezie Akobundu
Affiliation:
5310 Lantern Court, Baltimore, MD 21229-3163
R. Omosuyi Fadayomi
Affiliation:
University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria
David Chikoye*
Affiliation:
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan, Nigeria
Yekeen A. Abayomi
Affiliation:
University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria
*
Corresponding author's E-mail: d.chikoye@cgiar.org
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Abstract

Multilocational characterization of selected herbaceous and shrub legumes was carried out over a 3-yr period at lowland and midlatitude sites in the moist savanna agroecological zone in Nigeria where a south–north gradient exists for rainfall, length of growing season, and insolation. One study site each was located in coastal–derived savanna (DS), southern Guinea savanna (SGS), and northern Guinea savanna (NGS). A fourth site was located in the plateau of the NGS. Only one legume cover crop, lablab, produced adequate ground cover and good weed suppression in three locations irrespective of rainfall amount, duration, and distribution. Velvetbean was superior to other legume cover crops in the lowland savanna locations where rainfall exceeded 1,100 mm/yr but not in the plateau of the NGS where rainfall was less than 1,000 mm. Pigeonpea grew luxuriantly and produced canopy cover that effectively suppressed weeds in the DS where rainfall was high. Centurion grew well and suppressed weeds effectively only in the SGS site where rainfall of 1,120 mm was well distributed over a 5-mo period. Sunnhemp grew well and suppressed weeds only in the NGS study sites where rainfall duration was 4 mo and the length of the growing period was short. Weed density was negatively correlated (P < 0.05) with percentage ground cover of those legume cover crops that were effective in weed suppression in all locations. Redundancy analysis revealed significant associations between weed species and cover crops at each of the locations.

Keywords

Centurion, Centrosema pascuorum Mart. Ex Benth. #3 CENPAlablab, Lablab purpureus (L.) Sweet # LABPUpigeonpea, Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp. # CAJCAsunnhemp, Crotalaria ochroleuca G. Don # CROOCvelvetbean, Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC. var. utilis (Wright) Burck # MUCPRLegume ground coverweed densityweed species compositionWAP, weeks after plantingDS, coastal–derived savannaSGS, southern Guinea savannaNGS, northern Guinea savannaRDA, redundancy analysis
Type
Research
Information
Weed Technology , Volume 17 , Issue 1 , March 2003 , pp. 1 - 13
Copyright
Copyright © Weed Science Society of America 

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