Survey of Cotton Weeds in Middle Awash of Ethiopia

Abstract

Cotton is a widely cultivated fiber crop and plays an important role in the globe. In Ethiopia, cotton is produced in small and large scale, but commercial farms are greatly affected by the problem of weed infestations. Weed survey was done in the potential irrigated cotton growing areas of Middle Awash at seedling and flower initiation stages of the crop. From all locations, the specimen was collected and tagged. Identification of the specimen in the field was done based on weed identification guidelines and those specimens difficult to identify in the field were identified by the national herbarium of Addis Ababa University. Frequency, Abundance, Dominance and Similarity Index were done according to their formula. A total of 27 weed species from 17 families were recorded from all locations. The most dominant weed species are from Poaceae, Amaranthaceae, Euphorbiaceous, Malvacea, Convolvulaceae and Asteraceae weed families in all locations. Weed species composition are different among crop growth stage and similar between districts and across districts and hence, a similar management practice will be applied for the districts.