Integrated management of Corn Marigold (Glebionis segetum) in Tef Field at Western and Southwestern Shewa zones in Ethiopia

Abstract

Background: Corn marigold is a serious weed species of agricultural crops in many parts of Ethiopia. However, there is a lack of information on its management in tef fields in the country. Therefore, the current work was designed with the objectives of evaluating integrated management of the weed and determining the most economical integrated weed management options in tef fields. Methods: The field experiment was conducted at naturally Corn marigold infested fields of Chaliya and Waliso districts of Western and Southwestern Ethiopia, respectively during 2020 to 2021 cropping seasons. Results: Different Corn marigold management practices exhibited different responses to different parameters of the target weed and the test crop differently. Application of Pallas 45 OD at a rate of 0.40 l ha-1 supplemented with once-hand weeding and QuelexTM 200 WG sprayed at a rate of 50 g ha-1 supplemented with once-hand weeding increased grain yield by about 70 and 50%, respectively, over weedy check. The marginal revenue and benefit-cost ratio inflicted from the marketing of goods for every one of integrated management of Corn marigold increased by about 42–110 and 32–89%, respectively as compared to a weedy check. Conclusions: The present study revealed the role of integrated management of Corn marigold in improving tef production and productivity by combating the weed. Future research should be directed towards scaling up and popularizing these technologies among end users.