ABSTRACT
The weed flora differs widely with the environment and soil conditions. Generally, weeds are found in large numbers with greater vigour, because of their wider adaptability even under extremities of climatic, edaphic and biotic stresses. Under condition of limited moisture, weeds thrived better than groundnuts, producing dry-matter yields that were higher than those recorded under adequate rainfall for most of weeding regimes. In general, nutrient removal by weeds was more in unweeded check than weeded maize plot. Weeds growing in association with maize crops are of wide range and intensity, varying in their growth habit and life cycles. Satisfactory weed control is achieved through direct methods (manual, mechanical, chemical) used within systems of indirect methods (land, input and crop management). Inadequate weed management is one of the major causes for low yield in rainfed maize. The conventional method of weed control through hand weeding is costly and nonavailable at critical stages.
