Growth and yield of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) as influenced by weed control and maize intercrop

Abstract

In tropical environments, groundnut is highly vulnerable to competitive interference from weeds. Failure to manage this competition for limited resources during the critical initial growth phase results in a significant yield decline. The field experiments were carried out at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria, to assess how various weed management strategies and intercropping arrangements influence groundnut growth and yield. The experimental setup employed a split-plot design within a randomized complete block framework, replicated three times. The main plot treatments consisted of two cropping patterns, including a mixture of groundnut with maize and sole groundnut. The subplots were made of eight weed control methods, including 4 different herbicide types, 3 different hoe-weeding methods, and a weedy check. Data were collected on groundnut growth and yield. The result showed that planting groundnut sole resulted in significantly higher groundnut stand, ground cover, dry matter and yield compared to the intercropped groundnut. Groundnut ground cover and number of pods were statistically similar among the weed control methods, but were significantly reduced in the untreated plots. In 2018, the plots with supplementary hoe weeding (SHW) resulted in the highest pod yields, while in 2020, pod yields were similar among the weed control methods but were significantly reduced in the weedy check. Every weed management approach significantly lowered weed dry matter by 10–81% relative to the untreated plots, with treatments incorporating supplementary hoe-weeding proving most effective. The study concluded that weed control methods evaluated improved groundnut performance and can be adopted by farmers.