Evaluation of the effect of nicosulfuron and bentazone herbicides on growth and yield performance of two maize varieties in Mubi, Nigeria

Abstract

Abstract. Tizhe TD, Alonge SO, Adekpe DI, Ioortsuun DN. 2023. Evaluation of the effect of nicosulfuron and bentazone herbicides on growth and yield performance of two maize varieties in Mubi, Nigeria. Asian J Agric 7: 122-130. This study aimed to determine the effect of nicosulfuron and bentazone herbicides on the growth and yield performance of maize (Zea mays L.) varieties SAMMAZ 17 and SAMMAZ 37 in Mubi, Nigeria. The study was carried out between 2019 and 2020 wet seasons. Nicosulfuron and bentazone herbicides at 50, 100, 150, and 200 g/ha and 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 kg a.i/ha concentrations, respectively, along with hoe weeded and weedy check controls were applied in the field of the two maize varieties at 3, 5 and 7 Weeks after Sowing (WAS). The maize growth parameters were determined two weeks after treatment at three different times, while the yield parameters were determined using standard procedures. The results showed that nicosulfuron and bentazone had no significant effect on the Crop Growth Rate (CGR), Net Assimilation Rate (NAR), days to 50% silking (except Relative Growth Rate and days to 50% tasselling), and plant height, leaf area index and total biomass of the two maize varieties, when sampled at 2 and 4 (except at 6 weeks) weeks sampling after herbicides application at 3, 5 and 7 WAS. The application at 3 WAS resulted in lower values for virtually all the growth parameters than that at 5 and 7 WAS. The two herbicides, however, significantly affected most of the maize yield parameters. The maize plants on plots treated at 3 WAS had the highest values for all the yield parameters (except kernel depth) than those treated at other periods. The study concluded that the post-emergence application of nicosulfuron and bentazone herbicides had no significant influence on the growth parameters of SAMMAZ 17 and SAMMAZ 37; however, there was a significant effect on the yield parameters.