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Weed management options for seasonal wetlands (VLEIS) in semi-arid areas of masvingo province, Zimbabwe

By: Contributor(s): Material type: TextTextPublication details: Nairobi (Kenya) KARI|CIMMYT : 2002Description: p. 113-119ISBN:
  • 970-648-120-6
Subject(s): DDC classification:
  • 338.16 FRI
Summary: Discussions with small-scale farmers in semi-arid Masvingo, Zimbabwe indicated that weeds, waterlogging and labour shortages are major constraints in wetland (vlei) crop production. Various weed management options chosen by farmers and researchers were tested in four areas on two vlei types with maize and rice during the 2000/2001 season. This paper compares the use of traditional hand hoe weeding and post-emergence herbicides (bentazone in rice and maize-rice inter-crops on wet vleis and a mixture of atrazine and halisulfuron on maize in wet and dry vleis. Herbicides were applied three weeks after crop emergence using additional hoe weeding as required. Gross output was highest in the maize-rice inter-crops in the wet vleis. These treatments however required large amounts of labour and net benefits were higher on sole maize crops using herbicides. Farmers particularly liked the herbicide treatment in maize, but remained concerned about cost and their lack of knowledge about herbicides. No overall benefit from herbicide use in rice-maize inter-crops was apparent after one season's trials, which are currently being repeated for a second season.
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Discussions with small-scale farmers in semi-arid Masvingo, Zimbabwe indicated that weeds, waterlogging and labour shortages are major constraints in wetland (vlei) crop production. Various weed management options chosen by farmers and researchers were tested in four areas on two vlei types with maize and rice during the 2000/2001 season. This paper compares the use of traditional hand hoe weeding and post-emergence herbicides (bentazone in rice and maize-rice inter-crops on wet vleis and a mixture of atrazine and halisulfuron on maize in wet and dry vleis. Herbicides were applied three weeks after crop emergence using additional hoe weeding as required. Gross output was highest in the maize-rice inter-crops in the wet vleis. These treatments however required large amounts of labour and net benefits were higher on sole maize crops using herbicides. Farmers particularly liked the herbicide treatment in maize, but remained concerned about cost and their lack of knowledge about herbicides. No overall benefit from herbicide use in rice-maize inter-crops was apparent after one season's trials, which are currently being repeated for a second season.

English

0410|AGRIS 0401|AL-Maize Program

Juan Carlos Mendieta

CIMMYT Publications Collection


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