Evaluating the Efficacy of Newly Introduced Herbicides against Coffee (Coffea arabica L.) Weeds in Sidama, Southern Ethiopia

Abstract

Weed is the major limiting factor of coffee production in Ethiopia. Weeds in coffee cause 65% yield reduction in the country. Now a day, the expensiveness of weed management has been a principle issue in economic analysis of coffee production in Ethiopia. Herbicide is a best weed management option in coffee production. Thus, newly introduced herbicides verification trial was conducted in Hawassa
Agricultural Research Center on site and Wondo Genet District in 2023 cropping season to evaluate the efficacy of newly introduced herbicide. The experiment consist one (1) treatment Glyphosate 480g/l SL test herbicides and Gly care 480%g/l SL, as standard check and weedy control as negative control. The herbicides effectively reduced weed density and provide good weed control efficiency compared with weedy control. The tested herbicide Glyphosate 480%g/l SL, have been full declination on weed control as compared with standard control herbicide with one time application for one season. This result suggested that one time application at vigorous weed growth is mandatory to achieve full control throughout season equivalent with standard control herbicide. Therefore Glyphosate 480g/l SL at 3 L/ha within 250L/ha water with one time application per season is recommended to control weeds in coffee. According to this study, although both the evaluated herbicides can control coffee weeds and the duration of their control is not different. The standard check (Gly care 480% g/l SL) and the testherbicide (Glyphosate 480% g/l SL) were control weed species within 7 to 14days.