Effects of Delayed Hand Weeding on Sole-crop Cassava in Sierra Leone

Abstract

SUMMARY The effects of delayed hand weed control at 30-, 45-, 60-, 90-day intervals, and no weeding, on sole-crop cassava, was studied in two experiments on the upland soils of Sierra Leone. Timing and frequency of weeding were important in influencing root number and root yield, and delayed weed control depressed both attributes. The critical period of competition was in the 45-day weeding interval, with six weedings in a 14-month growing period. Rottboellia exaltata was the predominant species amongst the permanent grasses on the no-weeding plots.