Maize I
Citation
CTA. 2004. Maize I. Rural Radio Resource Pack 04/01. Wageningen, The Netherlands: CTA.
Permanent link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/10568/57237
Abstract/Description
An agronomist from the University of Zambia, Tamara Kambikambi, discusses traditional and modern methods for preventing and controlling weeds in maize.
Notes
Cue:
Despite greater diversification in crop growing, maize is, and will continue to be, an extremely important crop in much of Africa. It is also a crop that is badly affected by weeds. Grasses and sedges are a particular problem to farmers, because they are very similar in structure to maize; this means that if farmers want to use a chemical control method, they must be careful to choose a herbicide which will only kill the weeds and not harm their crop. Hand hoeing to remove these weeds is also difficult, because many of them have underground structures, which lie deep in the soil. If these are left behind after ploughing or hoeing, they can quickly sprout again, sometimes making the level of infestation worse than before. Maize is also vulnerable to broadleaf weeds which can grow in huge numbers around young plants, taking valuable water and nutrients.
So how can farmers tackle these weed problems? Tamara Kambikambi is an agronomist at the University of Zambia, where she lectures on weed science. She spoke recently to Daniel Sikazwe about some of the traditional and modern methods for controlling weeds in maize.
IN: ?Small scale farmers traditionally burn?
OUT: ?.come and infest your field.?
DUR?N 6?52?