Abstract
The productivity food barley is constrained by the competition of weed and agronomic practices. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of weeding frequency on Relative Weed Density, Weed intensity, Relative yield loss and Yield of Food barley varieties at Amuru District of Horo Guduru Wollega Zone of Oromia National Regional State in 2016 main cropping season. The experiment was laid down in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. The treatments were factorial combination of four weeding frequencies (weedy check, one time weeding, two times weeding and three times weeding) and five food barley varieties (HB 1307, CROSS 41/98, GOBE, EH1493 and Local). The major weed species identified in the study area were Setaria pumila with relative density (31.74%), population density (84 plants m<sup>-2</sup>) and an intensity of 2.1; Snowdenia polystachya with relative density (16.6%), population density ( 44) with an intensity of 1.1; and Polygonum spp with relative density (10.57%), population density (28) and an intensity of 0.95. While others weed species constituted about 27.17% of a total weed population with a density of 72 plants m<sup>-2</sup>. Weeding frequency and varieties significantly affected biological and grain yields, and relative yield loss of food barley. Three times weeded treatment gave significantly higher grain (1422 kgha<sup> 1</sup>) and biological (3877.78 kgha<sup> 1</sup>) yields. Moreover, HB 1307 variety gave significantly higher grain (1292 kgha<sup> 1</sup>) and biological (3513.9 kgha<sup> 1</sup>) yields. Therefore, three times weeding with HB 1307 variety is recommended to increase the production and productivity of food barley in the study area.
Highlights
Barley is one of the commonly grown food security crops in higher altitude areas of Ethiopia
The experiment was conducted at Amuru District during main rainy season of 2016. It is located in Amuru District which is found in the Eastern part of Horo Guduru Wellega Zone of Oromia National Regional State, and 387 km from Addis Ababa
According to Oromia Sustainable Land Management program (SLMP) the study area extended from 36° to 37° East longitude to 9° to 10° North latitude
Summary
Barley is one of the commonly grown food security crops in higher altitude areas of Ethiopia. The total number of households cultivating barley at national level is estimated to be 4,095273. In Oromia Region of Horo Guduru Wellega Zone the total number of households cultivating barley is estimated to be 32,305. Weeds are naturally selected in disturbed agricultural ecosystems [2]. They are different from other pests that pose problems in crop production because the presence of weeds is constant, while out breaks of insects and pathogenic diseases are irregular [3]. Takele reported that reduction in the number of fertile tillers per plant and biomass yield due to weed competition were mainly responsible for the crop yield loss [4]
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