Clearing the Weeds Create more Space for Weeds infestation

Abstract

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of different methods of weed management on weed succession and dynamics. A plot measuring 96 m2 was used for the field experiments on an uncultivated soil beside the Plant Science and Biotechnology Botanical Garden at Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko. The plot was divided into five subplots each with three replicates. Five treatments which include two different herbicide brands, mixture of the two herbicide brands, manual weeding and control (where no weeding was done) were applied on the subplots. Plant identification were recorded to species level before and after treatments were applied. Plant species richness, abundance and similarity were estimated for the treated and control sites from the study plots. A total of 27 plant species belonging to 12 families were enumerated in the plots before treatments were applied. Aside Talinum triangulare that cut across all the plots, other plant species persistent in the different plots include Chromolaena odorata, Andropogon tectorum, Gomphrena celosiodes, Ipomea asarifolia, and Sida acuta. Two families that cut across the plots were Portulacaceae represented by Talinum triangulare and the Malvaceae represented by Sida rhombifolia and S. acuta. A low similarity index was obtained for plots treated with herbicides compared to the hand weeded and control plots. It was evident from the study that the removal of weed as management method create open space for recolonization by new set of weeds.