THE EFFECT OF APPLICATION OF POULTRY MANURE AND INORGANIC FERTILIZER ON COWPEA: INCIDENCE AND CHLOROPHYLL CONTENT OF FALLOWED WEED
*Amujoyegbe, B.J. and J. Opabode.
Department of Plant Science, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Nigeria. *Corresponding author.
E-mail: bamujo2002@yahoo.com
Accepted in March 2004
Abstract
The effect of application of poultry manure and inorganic fertilizer on cowpea was investigated at the Teaching and Research Farm (T&R) of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria in the early and late season of 1998. Studies on the diversity, composition and the chlorophyll content of fallowed weeds before and after cowpea harvesting were investigated. The treatments had no significant influence (p< 0.05) on the species of weed observed but significantly affected the level of occurrence and the chlorophyll concentration of the weeds. The incidence of Chromolaena odorata (L.) RM King and Robinson was highest across treatments followed by Panicum maximum Jaqc and Strachytarpheta indica (L.) Vahl, Desmodium scorpiurus (SW) Desv, Corchorus capsularis L. Malvastrum ceromandelianum (L.) Garcke, Erigeron floribundus (H.B&K) Sch., and Triumfetta rhomboidea Jaqc. in ascending order. The influence of inter and intra specific competition among weeds, the physico-chemical condition and the persistency of the amended materials probably influenced the nutrient availability from the amended materials which they have subsequently affected the extent of the nutrient use of the weeds. These thus affected the incidence, biomass and chlorophyll content of the weeds.