Water treatment of Parkia biglobosa pulp dressed maize (Zea mays L.) seeds for Striga hermonthica control at Minna, Nigeria
2008
Kolo, M.G.M.,Federal Univ. of Technology, Minna (Nigeria). Dept. of Crop Production | Mamudu, A.Y.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of using Parkia biglobosa pulp at various concentrations to control Striga hermonthica in maize under field conditions during the years 2004 and 2005. Seeds of two maize varieties (Striga resistant Jo-98 and Striga susceptible Obatanpa) were dressed with P. biglobosa pulp (164 g/1 kg maize seed). Various volumes of tap water (0, 50, 75, 100, 125 and 150 mL) were added, stirred and left overnight for 18 hours before sowing. The control was maize seeds without Parkia pulp dressing. The experiment was laid out as a split-plot arrangement in a randomized complete block design with maize varieties in the main plots and Parkia pulp concentration constituting the sub-plot treatments. All the treatments were replicated three times in both years. Maize varieties did not significantly differ in delaying Striga shoot emergence, reducing Striga shoot density and maize syndrome reaction score in 2004, but the resistant maize variety Jo-98 reduced these variables more effectively than the susceptible Obatanpa in 2005. The resistant maize was significantly taller and produced greater grains than the susceptible one in both years. The addition of 50 mL water significantly delayed Striga shoot emergence by 14 and 4 days in 2004 and 2005, respectively, and correspondingly reduced shoot density by 58 to 62% and by 69 to 71%, resp., compared with the no-water treatment. It also reduced Striga development and enhanced maize growth. These resulted in significant increase in maize grain yield by over 80% compared with the treatment without addition of water. Greater grain yield in the resistant variety than in the susceptible one was observed at each pulp concentration. Maize grain yield obtained from both varieties showed a high negative correlation with number of Striga shoots/square m and a positive relationship with maize plant height.
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