Ademiluyi Benson Oluwafemi
Field trials were conducted at the experimental site of the Department of plant Science of the Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti during the growing seasons of 2011 and 2012. Ado Ekiti is located on Latitude 70,400N and Longitude50, 150E with a bimodal rainfall pattern of about1450mm and a mean daily Temperature of 270c. Sprouted cocoyam corms were planted one per heap. The following treatment combinations were employed: hand weeding at 6 and 12 weeks after transplanting (WAT); Atrazine; Diuron; Atrazine+ hand weeding at 12WAT; Diuron+ hand weeding at 12WAT. Atrazine and Diuron were sprayed a day before transplanting on early weed resurgence at the rate of 2.4 and 2.1kg active ingredient per hectare (a.i.ha-1) respectively. Results from the study showed that there were effective weed control by the herbicides used and their combinations with hand weeding. The highest cormel number and cormel yield (kg plant-1) was recorded in the Diuron + hand weeded plots which compared with those of hand weeded plots twice at 3 and 8weeks after planting. It is concluded that Diuron application with supplementary hand weeding will be effective to give an all season weed control and produce optimum yield in the study area.
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