The effect of oxalis latifolia competition in maize

Abstract

The competitive effect of Oxalis latifolia H.B.K, (red garden sorrel) in maize has been investigated in the past four seasons at Cedara. The site chosen had a heavy O. latifolia infestation. In each of the four seasons initial weed control was achieved on all plots using a mixture of atrazine, terbuthylazine and metolachlor. This treatment controlled a wide spectrum of weeds except O. latifolia which became the dominant species present. On ten plots this weed was allowed to compete with maize throughout the season. This was compared with another ten maize plots where most of theO. latifolia was selectively controlled. Maize grain yields, plant lodging counts and the incidence of Diplodia and Fusarium> cob rots were not significantly altered by up to 329 well-developed O. latifolia plants m−2 compared with up to 55 insignificant plants m−2 in the control plots. © 1991 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.