@article{3098,
author = "Amare Girma and Kiya Adare",
abstract = "Even though barley is an important cereal crop for food security, its yield is limited by weed infestation. Therefore, field experiment was conducted at Chencha during 2017 to determine the critical period of weed control for food barley under short rainy/belg season. The treatments consisted of twelve weed competition periods: six initial weed infested periods (0, 15, 30, 45, 60 and 75 days after seedling emergence) and six initial weed-free periods (0, 15, 30, 45, 60 and 75 days after seedling emergence) and two local varieties which were factorially arranged in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. Data were collected on weed species, weed density, growth and yield related parameters of the crop. Analysis of variance showed non-significant variation between interaction effect of weed removal periods and barley varieties. Variety effect showed significant variation in straw yield but not in grain yield. The major weed species competing with the crop were from grass family (54%). Weed density was significantly and negatively correlated with grain yield.  Among growth and yield parameters, dry matter and grain yield were very highly affected by increasing duration of weed infestation. Accordingly, 23% and 28% reductions were recorded in biological yield and grain yield, respectively, due to uncontrolled weed growth compared to the values obtained from the weed-free check plots. Logistic and Gompertz models were used to estimate the beginning and end of critical period of weed competition, respectively, at 5 and 10% acceptable levels of relative yield loss. Hence, it can be concluded that keeping the crop weed free between 23 and 48 days after seedling emergence can prevent yield loss from exceeding the acceptable level (5%) in Gamo highlands of Sothern Ethiopia during short rain season.",
issn = "23191473",
journal = "IJAIR",
keywords = "Belg;Chega;Chencha;Maleno;Weeding",
month = "September",
number = "2",
pages = "188-197",
title = "{D}etermination of {C}ritical {P}eriod of {W}eed {C}ontrol in {F}ood {B}arley {V}arieties under {S}hort {R}ainy {S}eason",
volume = "8",
year = "2019",
}