October 21, 2020
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In-situ live mulch crops such as watermelon could suppress weed population, reduce costs and frequency as well as provide better quality vegetables through incident radiation control in cropping systems. This organic weed control compares better than herbicidal weeding in sub Saharan Africa (SSA) cropping systems where dietary vegetable intakes are not only inadequate but environmental concerns are not closely monitored. This study therefore seeks to find alternative weed control techniques apart fronl herbicidal control using live mulch watermelon to impede incident radiation in amaranth cropping systems. Grain amaranth cultivar NH84/493 was planted 2011 and 2012 cropping seasons at 0.5(hn x 0.50111 in three sowing spacing of watermelon: 1.5 x 0.45m; 1.5 x 0.9(hn; 1.5 x 1.35111. There veas a control plot without cropping and a check plot with amaranth cropping while the weed population in each was monitored. The experiment was a randomized complete block design with five replications. Results revealed that amaranth grain and watermelon fruit yields were significantly (p=0.05) highest at 1.5 x 0.90 m compared to other treatments. Total weed biomass and density were significantly (p=0.05) and consistently lower in the watermelon treatments relative to the bare soil treatment (control) in the order: 1.5 x 0.45m<l.5 x 0.90m<l.5 x 1.35m<Check<Control. It was obvious that changes in yields, weed biomass and density proofed to explain weed suppression capabilities of watermelon as live intllch in
Water melon, Amaranth, cropping system, weed suppression