TITLE: EFFICACY OF COMMANDER (Oxyfluorfen) IN THE MANAGEMENT OF WEEDS IN ONIONS

Project to be conducted by:NAME: ANDREW NZUKI MANZOLO

Reg. No.: A22/0058/2009Course: Bsc. Agriculture (Crop Protection

major)Supervisor:

Prof. J.W KimenjuDepartment of Plant Science and Crop

Protection,University of Nairobi.

Red Creole is the variety of onion widely grown and consumed in Kenya.

It’s optimal production is limited by poor, little or no management of weeds.

Negative effects of weeds in onions: stunted growth, triggers initiation of onion bulbs in vegetative stage and alternate hosts for pest and diseases in onions.

Therefore, it’s necessary to control weeds in onions to avoid huge crop loss.

Currently, use of GALIGAN (oxyfluorfen) in management of weeds in onions has shown negative effects-low yields

Weeds are a major limiting factor in onion production-resistance.

Galigan (50ml/20ml)-has not been effective in control of weeds in onions

JustificationFind a new and effective rate of

application of oxyfluorfen.

General objectives To manage weeds in onions effectively

using oxyfluorfen to increase yields in onions

Specific objectives To come up with a suitable rate of application of

oxyfluorfen to control weeds in onions To produce clean and quality onion produce due

to absence of weeds To compare the action of COMMANDER(test

herbicide) with GALIGAN(Standard herbicide)

• COMMANDER(Oxyfluorfen)-test herbicide• Onion seedlings (Red Creole)• Marker tapes and strings• 16 liter knapsack sprayer• Marker supporters• Fungicide (Master 72)• Insecticide (TWIGA ACE) • Fertilizer-D.A.P, C.A.N and N.P.K

Field layout: plots 2 by 2M (17 by 7M) Spacing: inter-plot spacing 0.5M, onion

spacing 6-10 cm, inter-row spacing 30cm Number of onion plants per plot 140

BLOCK 1

T4 T3 T5 T1 T6 T7 T2

BLOCK 3

T3 T7 T6 T4 T1 T5 T2

BLOCK 2

T2 T5 T1 T3 T6 T7 T4

Applied treatments•T1 will be weed throughout•T2 will be weed free•T3 will be farmers practice•T4 will be 43.4 ml COMMANDER in 20l of water•T5 will be 65ml COMMANDER in 20l of water•T6 will be 86.6 ml COMMANDER in 20l of water and •T7 will be 50ml of GALIGAN in 20l of water

The weed data will be taken after every two weeks until the 4th data.

Weeds to be sampled: narrow leafed(star grass, love grass and sedges), broad leafed (datura, gallant soldier, o. latifolia, amaranthus, wandering jew and targetes minuta)

Details of data will include: spp of the weed, No. of each weed spp, height of each weed, survival rate of onions after treatment, scoring for chlorosis, twisting of onion leaves and stunted growth.

2012 2013

Activity December

January February

March April

Writing proposal √

Proposal presentation √

Experiment setup √

Agronomic practices √ √ √ √ √

Data collection √ √ √ √

Data analysis √

Project report writing √

Item Unit cost (Ksh) Quantity Total cost (Ksh)

Onion seedlings 1 2940 seedlings 2,940

D.A.P 90 2 kg 180

C.A.N 70 2 kg 140

N.P.K 75 2 kg 150

Mark tape 100 1 piece 100

Fungicide (master 72)

600 1 kg 600

Insecticide (TWIGA ACE(

400 100 ml 400

Labor 412 15 days 6,315

Total 10,825