CRITICAL PERIOD OF WEED INTERFERENCE IN RAINFED AND IRRIGATED TOMATOES IN THE NIGERIAN SAVANNA

ADIGUN J.A.

Abstract
Field trials were conducted to assess the critical period of weed interference in tomato on the farm of the Institute for Agricultural Research Samaru (11011 'N, 07° 38'E) in the Northern Guinea Savanna ecological zone of Nigeria in 1989 and 1990 wet seasons and at the Irrigation Research Station of the Institute for Agricultural Research, Kadawa (11039'N, 08° 02'E) in the Sudan Savanna ecological zone of Nigeria in 1987/88 and 1988/89 dry seasons. Each trial consisted of two sets of treatments. One set of treatments consisted of plots initially kept weed free for 3, 6, 9 and 12 weeks after transplanting by weeding with hand hoes and subsequently kept unweded until harvest. The other set of treatments consisted of plots initially kept weed-infested for 3,6,9 and 12 weeks after transplanting and subsequently kept weed-free until harvest. Two treatments of weed-infestation and weed- free throughout the crop growth were also included as checks. In all the trials, weed interference beyond 6 weeks after transplanting (WAT) significantly depressed various crop growth parameters and tomato fruit yield compared with the crop kept weed-free throughout its life cycle. The crop was most critically affected by weed interference between 3 and 6 WAT. In order to obtain tomato fruit yield comparable to that of weed free check, it was required to keep the crop. weed-free for 6 weeks after transplanting and beyond. Weed infestation throughout the crop life cycle resulted in about 40 to 60% reduction in potential tomato fruit yield compared with the maximum yield obtained in each trials.

Key words:
Weed interference, critical period, transplanted tomato.

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