Response of Groundnut Varieties to Weed Management Strategiesin Southern Guinea Savanna of the Gambia

Field trials were conducted in 2018 rainy season at National Agricultural Research Institute Banjulinding and Teaching and Research Farm of the University of The Gambia UTG Faraba Banta to determine the effect of various weed management strategies on weed management, growth and yield of groundnut varieties. The experiment consisted of three groundnut varieties (Senegal 28/206, Fleur 11 and Samnut 24) and ten levels of weed management strategies (Pendimethalin at 1.0kg a. i h-1, Pendimethalin at 1.5kg a. i ha-1, Quizalofop-P-Ethyl at 1.0kg a. i ha-1, Quizalofop-P-Ethylat at1.5kg a. i ha-1, Pendimethalin at 1.0kg a. i ha-1 followed by Quizalofop-P-Ethyl at 1.0kg a. i ha-1, Pendimethalin at 1.0kg a. i ha-1 followed by supplementary hoe weeding at 6 weeks after sowing, Manual hoe weeding at 3 and 6 weeks after sowing, Pendimethalin at 1.5kg a. i ha-1 followed by supplementary hoe weeding at 6 weeks after sowing, Pendimethalin at 1.5kg a. i ha-1 followed by Quizalofop-P-Ethyl at 1.5kg a. i ha-1 and Weedy check). The experiment was laid out in a Split plot design, replicated three times with the weed management strategies as the main plots while the groundnut varieties as the sub plots. The results revealed that, manual hoe weeding at 3 and 6 weeks after sowing recorded the highest weed control efficacy index (8.41) at Banjulinding. However, at UTG Faraba Banta, pendimethalin at 1.5kg a. i ha-1 followed by quizalofop-p-ethyl at 1.5kg a. i ha-1 recorded the highest weed control efficacy index (5.09). Application of pendimethalin at 1.5kg a. i ha-1 followed by quizalofop-p-ethyl at 1.5kg a. i ha-1 recorded kernel yield (817.3 kg ha-1) at Banjulinding. At UTG Farba Banta pendimethalin at 1.0kg a. i ha-1 followed by quizalofop-p-ethyl at 1.0 kg a. i ha-1 had higher kernel yield (765.2 kg ha-1). Samnut 24 out yielded other varieties in both locations. Further research is recommended to evaluate the acceptability of the variety in the Gambian.