WEED SPECIES DIVERSITY AS INFLUENCED BY DIFFERENT HERBICIDE FORMULATIONS AND RATES IN LOWLAND RICE FIELDS IN NIGERIA

Different formulated mixtures of Propanil + 375 ml MCPA, Propani + 200ml MCPA, Propani + 250ml MCPA, Propani + 240 g ha^-1 Condax, 240g ha^-1 condax and Butachlor 4L ha^-1 along with Orizoplus at 4L ha^-1 as chemical check. Weedy check and 2 hand weedings at 3 and 6 weeks after transplanting were included in the treatments. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replicates at the experimental field of National Cereals Research Institute, Yandev and Badeggi, Nigeria. The variety of rice used was FARO 52 (WITA 4). Weed occurrence and their presence differed among the formulated herbicides. Both weed density and dry matter were lower while higher rice grain yield was recorded with the application of Orizoplus at 4 L ha^-1 and 2.4 kg propanil+375 ml MCPA ha^-1.