EFFECT OF WEEDING REGIME ON GROWTH AND YIELD OF SWEET MAIZE (Zea mays L. sub spp. Saccharata) IN GANYE, ADAMAWA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Field experiment was conducted at the Teaching and Research Farm of Adamawa State College Of Agriculture Ganye, to evaluate the growth and yield performance of sweet corn under different weeding at 3 weeks regimes during the 2012 and 2013 raining seasons. The weeding regime consisted of one weeding at week after sowing (WAS) only, two weeding at 3 and 6 WAS, three weeding at 3, 6 and 9 WAS and unwedded check as control. The experiment was fitted in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) and replicated four times. Results indicated that weed dry weight, plant height, leaf area and number of leaves per plant were not significantly influenced at sampling period of 3 WAS in both seasons. At 6 and 9 WAS however, increased weeding regime from control significantly reduced weed dry weight and increased plant height, leaf area and number of leaves per plant in both seasons. Similarly, number of days to 50% teaseling and silking reduced significantly with increased weeding regimen in both years, but increasing weeding regime to three in 2012 season significantly increases grain yielded of 1562kgha^-1. In 2013 and 1464. 0kgha^-1 in the combined analysis recommended weeding regime from this study.