EVALUATION OF SOME PRE-EMERGENCE HERBICIDE MIXTURES FOR WEED CONTROL IN CHILLI PEPPER (Capsicum frutescens L) IN NORTHERN GUINEA SAVANNA OF NIGERIA

Abstract

Field trials were conducted to evaluate the performance of various pre-emergence herbicide mixtures for weed control in chilli pepper  (Capsicum frutescens L) at the farm of the Institute for Agricultural Research Samaru during the west seasons in 1993 to 1995. Sixteen herbicide treatments were initially evaluated and compared with the hoe-weeded control and a weedy check in 1993 wet season. Nine of these treatments were further tested and compared with the hoe-weeded control and a weedy check in 1994 and 1995 wet seasons. Selective weed control with consequent high chilli pepper fruit yields compared to the hoe-weeded control were obtained with pre-emergence application of oxadiazon +  prometryn; metolachlor + CGA and pendimethalin + terbutryn each at 1.5 + 1.0 kg a.i/ha in 1993 wet season. Similarly pre-emergence application of metolachlor + metobromuron at 1.5 + 1.5 kg a.i/ha and metolaclor + terbutryn at 1.25 + 1.25 kg a.i/ha consistently combined effective weed control with high chili pepper fruit yields comparable to the hoe-weeded control in 1994 and 1995 wet seasons. In this study, unrestricted weed growth throughout the crop life cycle resulted in 81 to 90% reduction in potential chilli pepper fruit yield.