Integrated weed management through planting types and intra-row spacing on sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) yield at Wolkayit, Western Tigray, Ethiopia

Abstract

Sugarcane is the most important industrial and cash crop that is commercially cultivated for its sugar and bioenergy in the world. Weeds are among the major constraints that limit sugarcane production at Wolkayit, western parts of Tigray. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted at Wolkayit Sugar Development Project, during the 2019/20 cropping season to estimate the effect of intra-row spacing and planting types on major weeds, growth, yield and yield attributes of sugarcane. The experiment was laid out in RCBD in a factorial arrangement and replicated three times. Ten treatments consists of two sugarcane-planting types (sett planting and seedling transplanting) and five levels of spacing (5, 10, 20, 30 and 40 cm) with plot size of 25m2. The result revealed that the main and interaction effects of intra-row spacing and planting types significantly (P<0.05) affected weed and yield related parameters. The highest (230.5 tha-1) fresh cane yield was obtained from a set planting at 10 cm intra-row spacing while the lowest weed density (3.93m-2) was recorded from 5 cm transplanted field. However, the lowest weed sun dried weed weight (3.73 gm-2) was recorded from a set planting at 30 cm intra-row spacing. The lowest fresh cane yield (173 tha-1) and denser weed (17.6 m-2) was recorded from sett planting of 40 cm intra row spacing. Indicating integrated use of optimum intra- row spacing and transplanting reduced weed density, frequency, dominance and improved crop yields. It can be concluded that narrower intra-row spacing of 5cm generally resulted in lower weed infestation while higher cane yield was recorded from 10 cm intra-row spacing. This suggested that optimizing intra-row spacing to 10cm with set planting type is crucial technique to manage major weed species and improve sugarcane productivity. Besides, further research in different agro ecologies with prior consideration of major weed seed bank was recommended.