Evaluation of Sampling Time and Location on Growth and Development of Speargrass, Imperata Cylindrica (L.) Raecuschel in the Tropical Soils of Southeastern Nigeria

Abstract

The experiment was conducted in a screen-house in the research farm of the school of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology, FUTO, Owerri. To develop practical control measures for speargrass problems. The experiment was arranged as a split plot in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. The sampling time of the speargrass formed the main plot while the initial location of the speargrass rhizome constituted the subplots. Speargrass was grown from carefully prepared speargrass propagules. Result showed that, shoot growth, shoot biomass, rhizome production, dry matter accumulation were significantly (p<0.05) influenced by the stage of growth of the speargrass. Significant location difference were obtained in leaf area, shoot dry weight, leaf areas expansion, leaf area duration, leaf area ratio and specific leaf area significant sampling time and location interaction in shoot growth and shoot dry weight were observed. This was concluded that even though three different in growth characteristics of speargrass have great implication on thee speargrass resistance and persistence to conventional control, timely control measures can be effective.