Weediness of the Cotton Crop in Cote D'Ivoire in 2014

Author(s): Etienne Téhia Kouakou, Pascal Marnotte, Thomas Le Bourgeois

During the year 2014, 619 floristic observations were made in cotton fields in Côte d'Ivoire. 80 % of cotton plots, wich average size was about 5.4 ha, were treated with a pre-emergence herbicide. Additional weeding occured when necessary (three times on average). This study identified the dominant weeds in cotton crop from sowing to harvest. Rottboellia cochinchinensis (Lour.) Clayton, Euphorbia heterophylla L., Ageratum conyzoides L. and Commelina benghalensis L. were the most common species. The floristic composition evolved along the cropping season: at the beginning, Euphorbia heterophylla and Commelina benghalensis were the most frequent species, while Ageratum conyzoides grew especially late in the cycle. The species were also distributed according to the different climate areas. Weed infestation was correlated with control practices.

Cotton, Weed, Herbicide, Hand Weeding, Climate Area

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