Jimsonweed (Datura stramonium L.) interference in maize

Abstract

The influence of the growing population density of jimsonweed on maize productivity was studied in the experimental field of the Maize Research Institute, Zemun Polje on the chernozem type of soil in 2000 and 2002. The additive experiment was applied as a broadly used design for crop-weed interactions studies. The infestation was artificially created and the density of weed ranged from 0, 1, 3, 6 and 10 plant m(-1) in rows and between maize rows. The increase of the growing population density of jimsonweed decreased significantly plant height, dry biomass per plant and grain yield of maize. The weed density had a more significantly affect on the plant height and dry biomass per plant of maize than plant arrangement of weeds. The highest decrease of maize productivity was in variant jimsonweed in rows with 10 plant m-1. Yield was significantly affected by the weed position in both seasons and the decrease was more significant in variants with weed in rows of maize. The greatest observed yield loss (74%) was obtained in the variant of 10 plants m-1 of weed in row of maize in 2002. Average values of yield losses in all variants (11-57%) were over than 5%, which is considered the a weed threshold for maize. A lower yield loss than the weed threshold was recorded on two variants with jimsonweed between rows (6 and 1 plant m-1) in hot and dry 2000.