Weed Control Efficacy of Lumax 537.5 SE in Maize in the Forest–Savannah Transition Zone of Ghana

Abstract

Two field studies were conducted at the Multipurpose Crop Research Fields of the University of Education, Winneba, Mampong–Ashanti in the transitional agro-ecological zone of Ghana from September-December, 2009 and April-July, 2010 to determine the effects of various rates of Lumax 537.5 SE on weed control. The randomized complete block design was used with four replications. The treatments were Lumax 537.5 SE at rates 2, 4, 6, and 81/ha, and Hoe-weeded with Unweeded treatment as control. The maize cultivar, Akposoe was used as a test crop. The 41 Lumax/ha, 61 Lumax/ha and 81 Lumax/ha gave similar, but lower weed density than the 21 Lumax/ha and Unweeded treatments from 4 to 12 weeks after planting (WAP) during both cropping seasons. Differences in the compositions in the grasses, broadleaf weeds and sedges among the 41 Lumax/ha, 61 Lumax/ha, 81 Lumax/ha and Hoe-weeded treatments were not significant (P<0.05) at 6WAP in both years. The hoe-weeded and all Lumax treatments at 6WAP had lower weed dry matter and gave more than 52% weed control efficiency compared to the Unweeded control. The highest grain yields of 5-5.1 t/ha and 6-6.55 t/ha were similarly produced with 4-81/ha of Lumax and the Hoe-weeded treatments in 2009 and 2010, respectively. The results clearly indicated that the use of 41 Lumax 537.5 SE/ha produced weed density, weed dry matter, weed control, 100-grain weight and maize grain yield similar to the higher use rates of 6l and 81 Lumax/ha and Hoe-weeded treatments and therefore can be recommended for adoption across the forest-savannah transition zone of Ghana.