Evaluation of Herbicides for the Control of Annual Grass Weeds in Malt Barley

doi:10.7176/jbah/9-11-06

Abstract

A study was conducted at Bekoji and Kofele farmer’s field in 2015/16 and 2016/17 cropping seasons to evaluate effectiveness of two post-emergence herbicides for the control of annual grass weeds in malt barley. Phenoxapropethyl 1 lit/ha, Fenoxaprop-p-ethyl 69 g/l + safener-Mefenpyr-diethyl 75 g/l 1 lit/ha, hand weeding twice (30-35 and 55-60 Days After Sowing) as a standard check and a weedy check, respectively were laid out in Randomized Block Design considering sites as a replications. Malt barley, Holker was used as a test variety. Annual grass weeds like Snowdenia polystachya, Avena fatua, Phalaris paradoxa and Setaria pumila were controlled by Phenoxapropethyl 1 lit/ha a.i and Fenoxaprop-p-ethyl 69 g/l + safener-Mefenpyr-diethyl 75 g/l a.i 1 lit/ha with an efficacy rate of 80 to 100%. Fenoxaprop-p-ethyl69 g/l + safener-Mefenpyr-diethyl 75 g/l had a yield advantage over Phenoxapropethyl and weedy check by 21 and 62%, respectively. Application of Fenoxaprop-p-ethyl 69 g/l + safener-Mefenpyr-diethyl 75 g/l a.i (23027 Birr) had higher economic benefit than hand weeding twice (22158 Birr), Phenoxapropethyl a.i (17950 Birr) and weedy check (8670 Birr) by 4, 22 and 62%, respectively. It was economically profitable with marginal rate of return of 2538% even if the price of herbicide is increased by 20% as proven by the sensitivity analysis. Hence, Fenoxaprop-p-ethyl 69 g/l + safener-Mefenpyr-diethyl 75 g/l a.i at a rate of 1 lit/ha as post-emergence application can be recommended for the control of annual grass weed species in Malt barley for agro-ecologies similar to the study areas. Keywords: Fenoxaprop-p-ethyl 69 g/lit + safener-Mefenpyr-diethyl 75 g/lit, Grass weeds, Malt barley, Phenoxapropethyl, Post émergence herbicides DOI : 10.7176/JBAH/9-11-06 Publication date :June 30 th 2019

Highlights

Barley is the most commonly used grain in the production of malt for use in making beer of the world [1]
Efficacy result over locations indicated that all the treatments were effective against Snowdenia polystachya, Avena fatua, Phalaris paradoxa and Setaria pumila except Bromus pectinatus
This result is in line with the report of Fasil [14] that the commercial product, Phenoxapro-p-ethyl and Dichlofopmethyl have been noted to give good control of Snowdenia polystachya, Echinochloa crus-galli, Bromus pectinatus, Avena fatua, Setaria species and Phalaris paradoxa with the exception of another species of Bromus

Summary

Introduction

Barley is the most commonly used grain in the production of malt for use in making beer of the world [1]. It is the fifth most important cereal crops after teff, maize, sorghum, and wheat, with yearly estimated harvests of about 1.9 million tons from over 1.02 million hectares of land with an average national yield of 1.85 tons per hectare [2]. The crop is predominantly grown from 2000 to 3500 meters above sea level in Ethiopia [3] and it is an important food grain and malting crop in the Ethiopian highlands, with malting barley a major source of income for smallholder farmers [4]. Among others, limited number of quality malt barley varieties and associated production technologies to farmers; biotic factors (mainly weeds, insect pests and foliar diseases), abiotic factors (low soil fertility, low soil pH, poor soil drainage, drought and poor agronomic practices), weak technology transfer, poor access to markets and unattractive malt barley price are identified as the main constraints responsible for low productivity and limited expansion of malt barley [7]

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