EFFECT OF WEED CONTROL METHODS AND SEEDLING GROWTH STAGESON THE GROWTHOF TRANSPLANTED RICE(Oryza sativa L.) IN DUTSE, JIGAWA STATE

Abstract

The experiments were carried out in 2020 and 2021 rainy seasons to determine the performance of rice as influenced by seedling age and weed control treatments. The treatments consists of three seedling age (14, 21 and 28 day old seedling) and four weed control methods (hoe weeding, pre emergence application of gramozone (200g/L of paraquat/ha), pre and post emergence of gramozone (200g/L of paraquat/ha) and premix of propanil360g/L + 2,4_D 200g/L) and weedy check). The treatments were laid out in split-plot in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) and were replicated three times. The results revealed that the plots weeded twice and those treated with pre and post emergence application of gramozone and propanil respectively resulted in taller plant height, large leaf area, and more growth rate than the others weed control methods while weedy check gave the least value. The effect of seedling age on the rice growth revealed that rice transplanted under 14 days old seedling gave tallest plant height, high value of growth rate, relative growth rate and net assimilation value compared to the other methods while 28 days old seedling resulted in the least value of the parameters than others methods. Therefore, it can be concluded that rice farmers in the Sudan savanna zone of Nigeria can adopt pre and post emergence application of gramozone and propanil with transplanting 14 days old seedling since the combination of these treatments gave better weed control and growth of paddy rice.