Impact of Plant Spacing, Hand Weeding and Herbicides on Weed Invasion, Yield and Yield Components of Faba Bean ( <i>Vicia faba</i> L.) in North Shewa, Central Highlands of Ethiopia

Abstract

The production of faba bean ( Vicia faba L.) in Ethiopia is hindered by various weeds, diseases and insect pests. Unchecked weed populations can drastically decrease faba bean yield by 80%–90% if not eradicated during the critical competition period. This research aimed to assess the influence of plant spacing and herbicide use on weed invasion, yield and yield factors of faba bean during the 2000 and 2001 cropping seasons. Three inter‐ and intrarow plant spacings (35 cm × 15 cm, 40 cm × 10 cm and 45 cm × 5 cm) and four weeding methods (two instances of hand weeding, usage of Gallant Super and Fusilade herbicides and a nonweeding treatment as a control) were employed using a randomized complete block design with three replications in a factorial arrangement. The combined effects of plant spacing and weed management practices had a significant impact on the number of tillers per plant (NTPP). On the average of the two cropping seasons, the maximum NTPP (3.53) was observed on 35 cm × 15 cm plots treated with twice hand weeding management. On the average of the cropping seasons and plant spacing, the highest number of pods per plant (NPPP) (37. 69), number of seeds per pod (NSPP) (3.73) and weight of 100 seeds 62.77 g) were recorded in twice hand weeded plots. On the average of the cropping seasons, the highest grain yield (GYL) (6401.8 kg ha −1 ) was achieved in twice hand weeded plots with 45 cm × 5 cm plant spacing. The findings suggest that using 45 cm × 5 cm spacing in conjunction with twice hand weeding is the most effective practice for faba bean production.