Journal of Animal and Plant Sciences
J. Anim. Plant Sci. [ISSN 2071 - 7024]
Volume 15(1): 2109 - 2117. Published August, 2012.
Profitability of selected weed control methods in maize (Zea mays L.) in Nigeria
Omovbude, Sunday1 and Udensi, Ekea Udensi 1,2*.
1Department
of Crop & Soil Science, University of Port Harcourt, P.M.B 5323 Port
Harcourt, Nigeria.
2Consultant
Agronomist, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Cassava
Project (Nestle), South & South Eastern Nigeria Zones
*Corresponding author: emails ueudensi@yahoo.co.uk or u.udensi@cgiar.org
Key Words: Maize, Forest Savanna transition,
Profitability, Weed control methods
SUMMARY
A
study on the profitability of selected weed control methods of maize (Zea mays
L.) was carried out during the 2004 and 2005 cropping seasons at the
Teaching and Research Farm of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Nigeria. Ekpoma
is located in a forest - savanna transition zone (Lat. 6o 45’N and
long. 6o 8’E, attitude 314 metres above sea level) Seven treatments were used for the experiment,
viz no weeding (control), Primextra® (2 – chloro – 4 (ethylamino)-6-
(Isopropyl amino)-s- triazine + 2-chloro – N (2-ethyl-6-methyl phenyl)-N-(2
methoxy-1-methyl ethyl/acetamide (3.0kg a.i./ha), mulching (wood shavings),
one-hoe weeding at 3 weeks after planting (WAP), two hoe- weedings at 3 and 7
WAP, cover-cropping with melon minus hoe-weeding, cover-cropping with melon
plus one hoe-weeding at 3WAP. The seven treatments were laid out in a
randomized complete block design with four replicates. Economic analysis of
data were carried out by partial farm budgeting. The highest financial net return
was obtained in mulched plots while the lowest was in cover cropping with melon
plus hoe- weeding in both years. The net return (N35,475.00 or USD 373.42) Cost
Benefit Ratio(CBR) (1:28.38) in 2004 and (N37,310.48 or USD 373.1) CBR (1:25.73)
in 2005 implies that it is profitable to control weeds by wood shaving mulch in
the area of study.
