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An experiment was conducted at the Research and Training Farm of Federal College of Horticulture Gombe State (10020’N and 10030’E) during the 2021 rainy season in the Sudan Savanah agro-ecological zone of Nigeria. The aim of the research is to evaluate the effect of seedling age and time of application of post-emergence herbicide on the growth and yield of lowland rice (Faro 44). The experiment consisted of two factors, namely:- seedling age ( 3, 4, and 5-week-old seedlings) and time of weed control by post-emergence herbicide at 2, 3, and 4 weeks after transplanting. Farmer's practice hoes weeding, 7 weeks after transplanting as check and controls i.e. no weeding). These treatments were factorial combined (3 x 5) to give 15 treatment combinations of treatment and replicated thrice. The seedling was allocated to the main plot while weed control was to the sub-plot. Data gathered on weed, growth, yield, and yield attributes were subjected to analysis of variance, and mean differences were separated using Student Newman keuls (SNK ) at p< 0.05. The result revealed significant differences due to seedling age and time of weeding in most characters measured. Generally, the 3-week-old seedling (3WOS) performed better but at par with 4WOS, while earlier application of herbicides at 2 weeks after transplanting (WAT) gave excellent weed control. The highest yield of paddy rice 8849.4 and 9517.2 kg/ha, was obtained from 2WOS and herbicide application at 2WAT. It can be concluded that 3-4WOS seedlings of Faro 44 variety of rice and early application of herbicide at 2wat can be suggested to the rice farmers in the study area.

Field experiments were conducted during the wet seasons of 1991, 1992 and 1993 at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Farm, Bauchi (10° 22'N, 09° 47'E) to study the response of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) to N rates and plant population under rainfed conditions. Four N rates (0, 50, 100 and 150 kg N ha -1 ) and four plant populations (40 0000, 80 000, 120 000 and 160 000 plants ha -1 ) were factorially combined in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Leaf area index, shoot dry weight and seed yield kg ha -1 ) increased significantly with increasing N rates from 0 to 100 kg N ha -1 . The growth and yield parameters per plant decreased significantly with increasing plant populations from 40 000 to 16 000 plants ha -1 , but the seed yield (kg ha -1 ) obtained at 80 000 plants ha -1 was significantly higher than all the other plant populations. The interactions of N x plant population confounded the main effect of each factor on the growth and yield of sunflower. The seed yield (3425 kg ha -1 ) obtained from the use of 100 kg N ha -1 at 80 000 plants ha -1 was significantly higher than those obtained from all other combinations of N x population and out-yielded the main effects of 100 kg N ha -1 and 80 000 plants ha -1 by 18 % and 25 %, respectively. The use of 100 kg N ha -1 at 80 000 plants ha -1 is therefore recommended for maximum yield of sunflower in Bauchi.

No Abstract. IJOTAFS Vol. 1 (2) 2007: pp. 149-153