Competition Between Yellow Nutsedge (Cyperus Sp.) and Maize (Zea Mays L.)

By Abraham Gemechu

This book contains a details of an experiment conducted at the University of Goettingen in Germany as part of a master thesis work to study the effect of competition of a weed plant Yellow Nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus L.) on the dry matter yield of maize or corn (Zea mays L.).

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Apr 8, 2019
• ISBN: 9781543969115

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Competition Between Yellow Nutsedge (Cyperus esculetus L.) and Maize (Zea mays L.)

First Submitted by

Abraham Aknaw Gemechu, Paul L.G. Vlek, and Barbael Gerowitt

Institute of Agronomy in the Tropics and Subtropics

George-August University of Goettingen, March, 1996, Goettingen, Germany

Revised and Published by

Abraham Aknaw Gemechu

April, 2019, San Francisco, CA

ISBN: 978-1-54396-911-5

© 2019. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Table of Contents

PREFACE

ABSTRACT

List of Figures

List of Tables

1 Introduction

2 Review of literature

2.1 The genus Cyperus sp.

2.1.1 Taxonomy

2.2 Cyperus esculentus L. (yellow nutsedge)

2.2.1 Tuber biology

2.2.2 Seed biology

2.2.3 Life cycle

2.2.4 Ecotype Variation

2.2.5 Ecology and distribution of Cyperus esculentus L.

2.2.6 Economic importance of Cyperus esculentus competition

2.3 Maize

2.3.1 Botany

2.3.2 Ecology

2.3.2.1 Nutrient requirement

2.3.2.2 Moisture demand

2.3.2.3 Weed competition

2.4 Principles of interspecies competition

2.4.1 Interference interactions

2.4.2 Removal interactions

2.4.3 Addition interactions

2.4.4 Mutualistic interactions

2.5 Nutrient competition

2.6 Water competition

2.7 Density and competition

3. Materials and methods

4 Result

4.1 Maize shoot dry matter

4.2 Maize root dry matter

4.3 Yellow nutsedge shoot dry matter

4.4 Yellow nutsedge root dry matter

4.5 Other Biological Data

4.5.1 Yellow nutsedge tuber and shoot number

4.6 Total water requirement

4.7 Water use efficiency

4.8 Total nitrogen uptake

4.8.1 Maize shoot

4.8.2 Maize root

4.8.3 Yellow nutsedge shoot

4.8.4 Yellow nutsedge root

4.9 Nitrogen use efficiency

4.9.1 Maize plant

4.9.2 Yellow nutsedge plant

4.10 Nitrogen uptake efficiency and recovery by plant

4.10.1 Nitrogen 15-recovery

4.10.1.1 Maize plant

4.10.1.2 Yellow nutsedge plant

4.10.2 Apparent N recovery

5 Discussion

6 Conclusions

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

References

Annex

PREFACE

This book covers an extensive knowledge of the author with regard to the competitive interaction of crop plants and a perennial noxious weed of the world. The author served as crop protection expert for many years in Ethiopia before he gets admitted for post graduate study at Institute of Tropical and Subtropical Agriculture in Goettingen, Germany. The result of his research work as a post graduate student was documented to demonstrate the presence of competition between yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus L.) and maize or corn (Zea mays L.).

So far, all loss of yield by yellow nutsedge was conducted using a herbicide and other means of control when the weed is growing naturally with crop plants. However, in this experiment the amount of yield losses to maize plant because of competition with the weed was determined without using herbicide and by maintaining different population of the weed to grow with a constant number of crop plant in a controlled environment.

The study covers not only the loss of yield because of the weed but also the factors of competition such as nitrogen use efficiency and water use efficiency.

The N-15 isotope was used in this experiment to determine the flow of nitrogen in the shoot and root system of both plants.

A well-known scientist, agronomist, researcher, and lecturer professor Paul L.G Vlek and a weed scientist professor Barbael Gerowitt advised me while this experiment was conducted.

This experiment was very expensive had it been not financed by University of Goettingen and the German Academic Exchange of Germany (DAAD). Therefore, I want to share my experience in conducting this experiment and its results to those academic institutions, farmers, and research institutes who are interested in the subject.

ABSTRACT

A pot experiment was conducted on acid red clay soil to investigate the effects of competition between Cyperus esculentus L. (yellow nutsedge) and maize (Zea mays L.) on plant dry matter, water and nitrogen use efficiency. Total dry matter and total nitrogen uptake of maize increased with increasing levels of nitrogen, and decreased with increased yellow nutsedge population. The application of nitrogen to weedy maize plant benefited the yellow nutsedge more than the maize plant. Yellow nutsedge and maize competed extensively for nitrogen and moisture. As a result, water use efficiency (WUE), nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and nitrogen-15 recovery increases in yellow nutsedge plant with increasing level of yellow nutsedge densities. This indicates strong competition of nutsedge both for moisture and nutrient. The competition was much more serious with increased nitrogen fertilization. Maize shoot dry matter was reduced by 47 %, 66 % and 64 % due to competition with yellow nutsedge under no, medium, and high level of N fertilization, respectively.

Key Words: Maize, Zea mays L., Weed Competition, Yellow nutsedge, Cyperus esculentus L., #CYPES, Nitrogen-15 Recovery, Nitrogen Use Efficiency.

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