Efficacy and Profitability of Some Weed Control Practices in Upland Rice (Oryza sativa L.) at Badeggi, Nigeria

Field trial was conducted at the upland rice experimental field of the National Cereals Research Institute (NCRI), Badeggi, Nigeria (lat 09045΄ N Long 6007΄ E) in 2008 and 2009 to determine the efficacy of different methods of weed control and their profitability in inter-specific and intra-specific upland rice varieties (Oryza sativa). The trial was laid out in split plot design with two varieties of rice (NERICA 1 as inter-specific and FARO 46 as the intra-specific) assigned to the main plot while the seven weed control treatments [hoe weeding @ 25 days after sowing (DAS), @ 45 DAS, @ 25 and 45 DAS, @ 25, 45 and 65 DAS, application of 3’,3’ - dichloropropionanilide/2, 4 – Dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (orizo plusR) by Candel company ltd at 3.5 kg a.i. ha-1 @ 25 DAS, hoe weeding @ 25 DAS followed by orizo plus @ 3.5 kg a.i., @ 45 DAS and weedy check] constituted the sub – plots. Results showed that three hoe weeding at 25, 45 and 65 DAS, twice at 25 and 45 and at 25 followed by orizo plus at 45 DAS gave better weed control than other treatments. However, hoe weeding at 25, 45 and 65 DAS gave significantly greater grain yield of 3.1 t ha-1 than other treatments. Hoe weeding at 25 DAS followed by orizo plusR at 45 DAS gave the higher net profit of US$544.1 and US$514.7 for NERICA 1 in 2008 and 2009, respectively and US$404.9 and US$308.0 for FARO 46 in 2008 and 2009 respectively than other treatments. NERICA 1 gave the highest economic return when weed was controlled using hoe at 25 DAS followed by orizo plus at 45 DAS.