Evaluation of Flame Emission Apparatus to Control Weeds in Faba Bean in River Nile State

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1 Journal of Science and Technology 12 (02) December 2011 ISSN X Sudan University of Science and Technology Evaluation of Flame Emission Apparatus to Control Weeds in Faba Bean in River Nile State Alaeldin. M. Elhassan 1 Khalifa. A. Khalifa 2 and Hassan. S. Abbas 3 1.Hudeiba Research Station, Ed-damer, P.O.Box 31 2, Sudan University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, Shambat 3.Sudan University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, Shambat, ABSTRACT: A flame emission apparatus was designed and its performance was evaluated in control of weeds between ridges in faba bean fields in the River Nile State. The performance in terms of weeding efficiency and economic feasibility was compared with the prevailing methods. Weeding was carried out at 4 and 6 and 4 weeks after sowing for flaming and hand weeding respectively, chemical control using Purusit plus Stomp in a tank mixture were applied at the recommended rates as pre-emergence herbicides. The flaming gave a weeding efficiency of 72.4% and 77.8% on grasses and broad-leaved weeds, respectively, the mean of the two seasons. According to weeds spatial distribution between two ridges, weeding efficiency of flaming and hand weeding at 4 weeks after sowing reached 79 and 87%, respectively on weeds in the furrow, and 66, 52%, respectively at the two sides of the ridge, where as the pre-emergence herbicides gave uniform control that reached a bout 87%. Comparison of means showed that the yield of flaming at 4 weeks after sowing was comparable with the yield of pre-emergence herbicides and hand weeding in the two seasons. Economic analysis showed that weeding by flame at 4 weeks after sowing has the highest value of marginal rate of return in the two seasons. KEYWORD: Pre-emergence herbicides, hand weeding. INTRODUCTION Faba bean is one of the main cash crops in northern Sudan where 98% of the crop is produced. Average faba bean yield are about 1.8 t/ha., with a considerable annual fluctuation in yield due to weather conditions and biological factors. From the major factors limiting the production of faba bean in the Sudan is poor management practices. A Faba bean crop is very sensitive to competition from both broadleaved and grassy weeds (Glasgow et at., 1976, Lawson & Wiseman, 1978; Wilson & Cussan, 1970, 1972). The extent to which crop yield is reduced by weeds depends not only on the crop, the environment and the weed species and density, but also on the period for which weeds are present (Dawson, 1970). Therefore, good weed control is an essential part of a successful cultivation of this crop ( Hebblethwaite, 1983). Studies by Mohamed (1996) found that unrestricted weed growth and delayed weeding reduced faba bean yield by 80%. Series of experiments with the use of some pre-emergence herbicides were carried out to study their efficiency and economic feasibility to control weeds in faba bean in northern Sudan (ElBadawi, 1986, 1987, Mohamed, 2004), which resulted in recommendation of using imazethapyr (Pursuit) at kg a.i. /ha in tankmixer with pendimethalin (Stomp) at 1.2 7

2 kg a.i. /ha or oxyfluoren (Goal) at 0.24 kg a.i. /ha (Mohamed, 2004). From 1980 to 2000 there is a dramatical increase in unique cases of herbicide-resistance weeds worldwide, that for ALS herbicide group (e.g. Pursuit) 95 species, for Dinitroanilines herbicide group (e.g. Stomp) 10 species (Witt, 2007). Based on the database maintained by Heap (2002) developing countries contribute 22 percent of the herbicide resistance incidence. Despite the fact that hand weeding is tedious and time consuming practice it is still the most common method adopted by farmers, and represents 85% of the methods of weed control in the northern Sudan, whereas the use of herbicides represents only 6% (Hashim, 2005). The study work reported in this paper was indented to evaluate the performance of flame weeding in alleviating effort at hand weeding and reduce dependence on herbicides to control weeds in faba bean in River Nile State. MATERIALS AND METHODS The flame emission apparatus was designed and constructed in Hudieba research station (Fig.1). The apparatus consists of L-shape frame; fixed on 32 cm diameter bicycle wheel at the horizontal side, from the frame corner a 130 cm long handle was fixed. A burner with 4.5 cm diameter head was hanged at the vertical side and connected to 10.5L liquefied petroleum gas cylinder by a high pressure hose with a valve, two pieces of thin sheet cover the burner at two sides was fixed at 30 cm apart (furrow width). The performance of the design flame emission apparatus, was compared with a combination of Pursuit plus Stomp as pre-emergence herbicides applied at the rate of 0.05 and 1.2kg a.i./ha respectively, and hand weeding at 4 weeks after sowing. The critical period at which there is a severe competition of weeds with the crop is in the range of 4 to 6 weeks from 8 sowing date. Therefore flame weeding was carried out at 4 and 6 weeks after sowing. The plot size for each treatment was 2.4 x7m. A randomized block design was used with 6 replications. A frame with dimensions of 60x60cm, with five divisions was placed between ridges before and after weeding the plots by flame and hand weeding to count the weeds and to assess weeding efficiency according to the spatial distribution of weeds from the top of one ridge to the top of the adjacent one. Weeding efficiency assessed from a specific area with fixed labels as a percentage of total weeds before weeding to the removed/killed weeds from the same area counted three days after weeding operation. Herbicide efficiency has been based on the average of weeds/m 2 of weedy plots to the emergence weeds 6 weeks after sowing in herbicides treated plots. Work rate was calculated from the time consumed to apply each treatment to every plot with measured area. Data on plants/m 2 ; weeds dry weight at harvest and crop biomass and yield were collected. Fig.1. Flame emission apparatus Economic analysis was carried out, using MSTAT-C program to assess the costs of weeding methods under test. Hand weeding cost was calculated according to the work rate of a 6 hours workday and 10 Sudanese Geineh/day labor wage, while the herbicide cost

3 included the chemicals price of 59.5, 95.2 Sudanese Geineh /ha for Pursuit and Stomp respectively, and 35.7 Sudanese Geineh/ha for the labor for spraying. Yield selling of 1.2 Sudanese Geineh/kg was the market price after harvest. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The performance of the design flame emission apparatus in term of weeding efficiency at different weeds developmental stages in faba bean shows a promising efficiency (Table 1). The means of weeding efficiency for the two seasons to control grasses and broad-leaved weeds at four weeks after sowing was 72.4 and 77.8%, respectively. Comparison of total weeding efficiencies means at different weeds developmental stages, show that flaming at 4 weeks after sowing was comparable with hand weeding at the same period in the first season, where as it was comparable with pre-emergence herbicides; free weed and hand weeding in the second season. Weeds counting according to their spatial distribution between two ridges, we found that a bout 58% of the counted weeds grown in the furrow, and the rest were at the two sides of the ridge. Due to this distribution, weeding efficiency of flaming and hand weeding at 4 weeks after sowing reached 79, 87%, respectively, in the furrow, and 66, 52%, respectively at the two sides of the ridge, whereas the pre-emergence herbicides gave a uniform control of a bout 87% (Fig. 2). Analysis of variance showed that there was a significant difference in faba bean grain yield between the weedy plots and the treated ones. Comparisons of means showed that the grain yield of flaming at 4 weeks after sowing was comparable with the grain yield of preemergence herbicides and hand weeding in the two seasons (Table 2). Economic analysis as the marginal rate of return, showed that flaming at 4 weeks after sowing exceeded targeted rate of return in both seasons, which indicate that farmer can gain 5.62 and SDG for each 1SDG invested compare to 0.9 and 3.14 for using herbicides in the two seasons, respectively, (Table 3). In spite of the low yield of faba bean in season 2005/06, due to unsuitable weather compared to yield of the next season, marginal rate of return from flaming at 4 weeks after sowing exceeded the targeted rate. From these results, flame weeding gave efficiency comparable to hand weeding, reflected also in comparable yield of faba bean. About economic feasibility, hand weeding not exceeded target rate of return, which make it not economically feasible with the obtained yield. CONCLUSION Regarding the facts that in the River Nile State till now chemical control of weeds in faba bean is pre-emergence herbicides, and still most farmers depend on the hand weeding. The designed flaming apparatus showed promising results in terms of weeding efficiency and economic feasibility, when considering that hand weeding is tedious and time consuming. 9

4 Treatment Grass/m 2 Brd.L/m 2 Table 1: Weeding efficiency of flaming at different weed developmental stages in faba bean in the River Nile State Season (%) Grass/m 2 Brd.L/m 2 (%) on on grass Brd.L Mean on on grass Brd.L Mean Weeding efficiency Weeding efficiency Weeds free a a Pre - em herbicides ab a 4WAS HW bc b 4WAS Flaming cd ab 6 WAS Flaming d b SE ± 7.6 ns 8.7 ns 7.5 ns 5.8 * 3.7 ** 8.7 ns 5.5 ns 5.6 * 6 ns 4.9 * C.V. (%) LSD (5%) WAS= weeks after sowing HW= hand weeding Brd.L= broad leaved ns = not significant * = significant (5%) ** = highly significant (1%) Means followed by the same letter in the each column are not significantly different at 5% level according to least significant difference method weeds/0.09m efficiency(%) w eeds in w eedy plot w eeds in Free w eeds plot w eeds in 4WAS Flaming plot w eeds in 4WAS Hand Weeding plot w eeds in 6WAS Flaming plot Pre-emerg. Herbici. Free w eeds 4WAS Flaming 4WAS Hand Weeding 6WAS Flaming 0 left side furrow (each division 15cm) furrow right side Fig.2 Total weeding efficiencies according to spatial distribution of weeds between ridges 0 Table 2 Effect of flaming at different weed developmental stages in weeds dry weight and yield of faba bean in the River Nile State Season Treatment Plants/m 2 Weds/m 2 Wdwt Biomass Yield (g/m 2 Plants/m 2 Weds/m 2 Wdwt Biomass Yield ) (kg/ha) (kg/ha) (g/m 2 ) (kg/ha) (kg/ha) Weeds free b a bc a Pre-em.herbicides c a c ab 4WAS HW b a b ab 4WASFlaming b a c bc 6WAS Flamin b a bc bc Weedy a b a c SE ± 2.7 ns 8.4 ns 9.8 ** ns 136 ** 2.8 ns 9.5 ns 17.3 ** 763 ns 357 * C.V. (%) LSD (5%) WAS= weeks after sowing HW= hand weeding Wdwt= weeds dry weigh Means followed by the same letter in the each column are not significantly different at 5% level according to least significant difference method 10

5 Table 3 Marginal analysis for flame weeding compares to prevailing weeds methods Treatment Value of output Weeding cost Threshing cost Net benefit MNB MVC MRR (%) Weed free Herbicides F HW F F Weedy Weed free Herbicides F HW F F Weedy marginal net benefit marginal variable cost marginal rate of retuen index of IOV (%) REFERENCES 1. Dawson, J. H, (1970). Time and duration of weed infestations in relation to weed-crop competition. Proceedings of the 23 rd Southern Weed Conference, El Badawi, E. O, (1986). Report on back-up research, weed control. Hudeiba Research Station, Annual Report 1985/86.Wad Madeni, Sudan. 3. El Badawi, E. O, (1987). Weed control in the traditional areas, Sudan. In ICARDA/IFAD Nile Valley Project on faba bean, annual Report 1986/87. Eighth Annual coordination meeting, September 1987, in Biology No. 86 Cairo, Egypt. 4. Glasgow, J. L., Dicks, J. W. and Hodgson, D. R,(1976). Competition by and chemical control of natural weed populations in spring sown field beans (Vicia faba). Annals of Applied Biology 84: Hashim, A. A. and Abdalla, I. F, (2005). Impact of food legumes and wheat technologies in the River Nile and Northern States under IFAD funded project in Sudan, Agricultural Economics and Policy Research Center, Agricultural Research Corporation, Sudan, Annual Report Heap, I. and LeBaron, H., (2002). Introduction and overview of resistance. pp.1-22, In S. B. Powles &Shaner,D. L., eds. Herbicide Resistance in Word Grains CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida, USA. 7. Hebblethwaite, P. D., (1983). The faba bean (Vicia faba). Chapter 13. The Husbandry of Establishment and Maintenance, Butterworths, British Library, p Lawson, H. M. and Wiseman, J. S.,(1978). New herbicides for field beans. In: Proceedings of the British Crop Protection Conference-Weeds, British Crop Protection Council, London, UK, Mohamed, E. S. et al, (2004). Chemical weed control in faba bean in northern Sudan. Sudan Journal of Agricultural Research, 4: Mohamed, E. S., (1996). Weed control in legumes. In: Production and Improvement of Cool-Season Food legumes in the Sudan, ICARDA/ARC, Wad Medani,

6 11. Wilson, B. J. and Cussans, G. W.,(1970). The selective control of annual and perennial grass weeds in field beans ( Vicia faba) by EPTC, chlorpropham and simazine. In: Proceedings of the 10 th British Weed Conference, BCPC, England, Wilson, B. J. and Cussans, G. W, (1972). Control of grass weeds in field beans (Vicia faba): the possibilities for inter-row treatment. In: Proceedings of the 11 th British Weed Conference, BCPC, England, Witt, W. W. (2007). Herbicide resistant weeds. Southern Weed Science Society, Annual Meeting, January 22-24, 2007, Opryland Hotel, Nashville TN. University of Kentucky. 12