Response of onion (Allium cepa L.) to plant population and weed control methods in a chicken weed (Portulaca quadrifida L.) infested field In Sudan Savanna, Nigeria

Abstract

Chicken weed is a significant weed in India and it occurs under onion cultivated field at Birnin Kebbi in the Sudan Savannah, Nigeria. On-farm experiment was conducted at Birnin Kebbi during the 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 dry season to evaluate the effect of plant population and weed control methods on the management of chicken weed (Portulaca quadrifida) alongside other weeds in onion field. The experiment consisted of three plant populations (500,000, 333,333 and 250,000 plants per hectare) and twelve weed control methods (Pendimethalin at 1.0 kg a.i. ha^-1, + 1Hw; pendimethalin at 1.5 kg a.i. ha^-1 + fluazifop-p-butyl at 2.0 kg a.i. ha^-1; pendimethalin at 2.0 kg a.i. ha-1; butachlor at 2.0 kg a.i. ha^-1 + 1Hw; butachlor at 2.8 kg a.i. ha^-1 + oxyfluorfen at 1.0 kg a.i. ha^-1; butachlor at 3.6 kg a.i. ha^-1; fluazifop-p-butyl at 2.0 kg a.i. ha^-1; oxyfluorfen at 1.0 kg a.i. ha^-1 + 1Hw; hoe weeding at 3 (WAT); hoe weeding at 3 and 6 WAT; weed free and weedy check). The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete Block design replicated three times. Results showed that weed, growth and yield parameters were not significantly affected by plant population. Pendimethalin at 1.5 kg a.i. ha^-1 + fluazifop-p-butyl at 2.0 kg a.i. ha^-1 and weed free plots consistently recorded the lowest weed cover and highest weed control efficiency. Butachlor at 2.0 kg a.i. ha^-1 + 1 Hw recorded the lowest crop injury score. Increase in plant height was observed when pendimethalin at 1.0 and 1.5 kg a.i. ha^-1 + 1 Hw and fluazifop-p-butyl at 2.0 kg a.i. ha^-1 respectively was applied, while application of pendimethalin at 2.0 kg a.i. ha^-1 and butachlor at 2.0 kg a.i. ha^-1 + 1 Hw recorded highest number of leaves and leaf area. Cured bulb and marketable bulb yield were greater with the use of pendimethalin and butachlor at 1.0 and 1.5 kg a.i. ha^-1 + 1 Hw and the pooled data respectively. Application of pendimethalin and butachlor at the rate of 1.0 and 2.0 kg a.i. ha^-1 followed by 1 Hw at 6 WAT respectively was therefore recommended for the control of chicken weed alongside other weed species in the ecology