Weed community assessment and response to smother cropping strategies at George, South Africa

Abstract

Weeds are one of the major constraints to crop cultivation that can affect crop yield based on their species composition and density. A field trial was initiated to assess the weed community composition and evaluate eco-friendly weed suppressive strategies. The main objective of this study was first to assess the floristic composition to determine pre-existing weed abundance and secondly to determine the response in terms of relative weed density subsequent to treatments. The identification of weeds occurred at each sampling point and the number of individuals of all species recorded separately. This showed the distribution of species among 19 plant families. Annual bluegrass (Poa annua L.) ranked as the most abundant winter weed with an index value of 34.9. Yellow nut sedge (Cyperus esculentus L.) ranked as the most abundant summer weed with a value of 74.8.