Integrated management of problematic weed corn marigold in wheat fields at West and South West Shewa Zones in Ethiopia

Abstract

Background: Corn marigold (Glebionis segetum) is a serious weed of cereal and pulse crops in many parts of Ethiopia. However, there is a lack of information on its management in wheat fields in the country. Objective: The current work was designed with the objectives of evaluating integrated management of the weed and determining the most economical integrated weed management options in wheat fields. Methods: The field experiments were conducted in naturally corn marigold infested fields in the Cheliya and Woliso districts of Western and Southwestern Ethiopia, respectively, during 2020 to 2021 cropping seasons using a randomized complete block design with three replications. The treatments were 1) Halauxifen-methyl 100 g kg -1 + Florasulam 100 g kg -1 + hand weeding, 2) Pyroxsulam 45 g L -1 + hand weeding, 3) Flurasulam 75 g L -1 + Flumetsulam 100 g L -1 + hand weeding, 4) twice hand weeding 5) weed free, and 6) weedy check.Results: Different corn marigold management practices resulted in different responses to all measured for the crop and weed parameters. Application of Halauxifen-methyl 100 g kg -1 + Florasulam 100 g kg -1 at a rate of 50 g ha -1 supplemented with a single hand weeding and Pyroxsulam 45 g L -1 sprayed at a rate of 0.50 L ha -1 supplemented with a single hand weeding increased grain yield by 87 and 74%, respectively, as compared to the weedy check. The marginal revenue and benefit-cost ratio obtained from the marketing of goods for the application of Halauxifen-methyl 100 g kg -1 + Florasulam 100 g kg -1 with a single supplementary hand weeding of corn marigold increased by about 149% and 165%, respectively, as compared to the weedy check. Conclusions: The present study revealed the role of integrated management of corn marigold in improving wheat production and productivity. Future research should be directed towards scaling up and expanding these technologies among growers.