Abstract
A two-year investigation into the effects of weed management practices, sowing dates and maize varieties was made in a Striga endemic field at Minna, Nigeria. The treatment was a factorial combination of variety (SAMMAZ 15, 17, 37, 40 and SUWAN-1-SR-Y), weed management practices (weedy check, two hoe weeding (HW) at 3 + 6 weeks after sowing (WAS), pre-emergence (PE) Atrazine at 2.4 kg a.i ha-1 + 1 HW at 6 WAS and PE Atrazine at 2.4 kg ha-1 + post-emergence (POE) Nicosulfuron at 0.06 kg ha-1 at 6 WAS) and sowing dates: early (28th May), mid-season (18th June) and late-season (9th July) in 2018 and early-season (26th May), mid-season (16th June) and late-season (7th July) in 2019 laid in a split plot arranged in a randomized complete block with three replications. Maize variety and weed management practices were combined as the main plot and sowing dates constituted the subplot. Delayed Striga shoot emergence and reduced shoot density were observed in SAMMAZ 15 and 40 and higher grain yield with SAMMAZ 17 in 2018 and 2019. Application of Atrazine plus Nicosulfuron significantly delayed Striga shoot emergence, reduced shoot density and higher maize grain yield in both years. Sowing in May significantly delayed Striga shoot emergence and reduced shoot density in both years. Sowing in June significantly increased maize grain yield in 2018 and 2019. These results suggest that SAMMAZ 15 and 40 in combination with PE Atrazine at 2.4 kg a.i ha-1 and POE Nicosulfuron at 0.06 kg a.i ha-1 and sowing in May effectively reduced Striga infestation. SAMMAZ 17 in combination with PE Atrazine at 2.4 kg a.i ha-1 and POE Nicosulfuron at 0.06 kg a.i ha-1 and sowing in June increased maize grain yield. Key words: Maize variety, sowing date, Striga, weed management.  
Highlights
The witchweed (Striga hermonthica (Del.) Benth) is among the serious biotic constraints affecting cereal crops production in sub-Sahara Africa (Ekeleme et al, 2011)
The results show that SAMMAZ 15 and SAMMAZ 40 recorded significantly longer days to Striga shoot emergence than the other varieties in the two years of study (Table 1)
Plots with two hoe weeding at 3 and 6 WAS, application of PE Atrazine + hoe weeding at 6 WAS and PE Atrazine + POE Nicosulfuron at 6 WAS delayed Striga shoot emergence than weedy check plot in 2018 (Table 1)
Summary
The witchweed (Striga hermonthica (Del.) Benth) is among the serious biotic constraints affecting cereal crops production in sub-Sahara Africa (Ekeleme et al, 2011). Striga infestation remains endemic in many maize producing belts of Nigeria and accounts for grain yield losses that vary between 30 to 70% (Kamara et al, 2014). Under these circumstances, farmers have been made to abandon their farmlands. Progress has been made by researchers in maize breeding in the area of identifying genotypes that are tolerant or resistant to Striga (Kanampiu et al, 2018; Adesina and Akinwale, 2014) It is practicable and compatible with the low-cost input technology of the resource-poor farmer (Kamara et al, 2014). It is practicable and compatible with the low-cost input technology of the resource-poor farmer (Kamara et al, 2014). Olaniyan (2015) noted that several Striga infections can cause total crop loss in maize and sorghum and losses can be much higher under heavy infestation, even resulting in total crop failure
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