Abstract
Interference from weeds directly affects the productivity and the quality of elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum) fodder. The difficulty in controlling weed species is one of the primary limitations to the production and use of elephant grass as forage in dairy farming and for biomass production in energy generation. The objective ofthis study was to determine the different periods in which yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus) interfered with elephant grass forage yield. Two field experiments were conducted using a randomized complete block design with four replicates in Valença, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. Elephant grass and weeds were maintained togetherfor increasing periods of time: 0, 14, 28, 42, 56 and 70 days after planting (DAP) (experiment 1). The plants were kept free of competition with weekly hand hoeing after each period. The elephant grass crop used in experiment 2 was kept free of weeds for the same periods of time. The weeds that emerged after these intervals were notcontrolled further to the end of the experiment. The elephant grass coexisted with C. esculentus up to 23 days after planting with no loss in yield, which corresponded to the period before interference. The total period of preventing interference was 42 DAP, and the critical period of preventing interference extended from 23 to 42 days after planting (DAP)
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