Coffee is one of the world’s largest traded commodity in over sixty countries. therefore being a livelihood provider to over 25,000,000 families around the world. About 70% coffee of Kenyan coffee is produced by small scale farmers. It is estimated 6million Kenyans are employed directly or indirectly by the check coffee sector. Major growing areas are the high plateau of Mt kenya, aberdare ranges, kisii, nyanza, bungoma, nakuru, kericho, machakos, taita hill and coast provinces.
GOOD CULTURAL PRACTICES
Optimum production is every farmers aim. And in order to achieve this growing healthy coffee bushes with well balanced fertilization helps vigorous growth in the early years hence enabling the young bushes to compete better with weeds for space, light, nutrients and water. Proper feeding will also be a prerequisite to achieving this. Planting at high density of improved varieties is very beneficial as it aims for bush canopy to close early hence reducing the incidence of weed growth in the plantations.
WEEDS IN COFFEE OVERVIEW
Weeds are a major problem in many crops and coffee is not an exception. They reduce plant vigour, production and compete for plant nutrients and also act as a hobour to pests . A large number of perrenial and annual weeds grow in these coffee plantations. The commonly found weeds in coffe include,pig weed, blackjack, gallant soldier Mexican marigold ,wandering jew, nutgrass, love grass,couch grass, star grass and many more.
WEED MANAGEMENNT
The major reason for reducing or eliminating weeds is to alter vegetation balance to beneficial and neutral plant. It is very important to understand which weedy plants are harmful and regular monitoring and knowing when and how to manage the different weed types most effectively. This can be achieved by one or a combination of several ways as highlighted below. Here in central Kenya weeds occurrence is experienced during the rainy season. Which is received twice in an year, i.e the long and the short rains.
Methods of weed control
- Use of shade trees: shade trees help to reduce weed growth. The organic matter generated from the trees leaf fall and pruning forms natural mulch cover which is effective in inhibiting weed growth.
- Poly cropping : companion crops such as beans,contribute to inhibit weed growth when planted between coffee rows in initial growth.
- Dead mulching: this is composed of crop waste such as beans, maize, grass cuttings, and herbaceous plant material can be scattered over the soil and it also inhibits weed growh.
- Manual weed contol: this method need to concentrate on total weed removal in the coffee drip zone, between rows. This method is important as it achieves good control over weeds and material removed decays and becomes compost. This should be practiced in the first two years.
- Chemical control with herbicides: this offers advantages over manual weeding in speed, effectiveness, labour saving, and efficiency.Herbicides should be applied when target weeds are small( 2 to 3 leaf stage) and it should be targeted and selective.
- Glyphosate: n-phosphonomethyl glycine is a non selective broad spectrum systemic postemergence herbicide that has been used extensively throughout the whole world for the last three decades. It inhibits the biosynthesis of aromatic amino acids which leads to several metaolic disturbances including inhition of proteins and secondary product biosynthesis. As GREENLIFE we offer you Clampdown® 480 SL and Catapult® 480 SL for weed control in your farm at a rate of 200ml/ 20l plus integra 3mls/20l and make sure to use clean water for best results. The following are the advantages of using clampdown/catapult
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- It is cost effective as you use one litre to weed one acre
- It clears all type of weeds leaving clean ground for long periods. Once or twice an year
- It is fast in terms of time saving. Weeding is done effectively in one day as compared to other methods
- Using clampdown or catapult is economical moneywise as compared to other methods of weed control.
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CATAPULT® 480 SL is a broad spectrum non-selective systemic herbicide for the control of post-emergence broadleaf and grass weeds in maize field under minimum tillage or zero tillage and in non-cropped areas.
