A cross sectional comparison of chemical treatment on plant biodiversity at Neudamm farm, Namibia

Authors

  • Diina N. Shigwedha 1Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry, Directorate of Agricultural Extension and Engineering Services
  • Absalom Kahumba University of Namibia
  • Rosemary Shikangalah University of Namibia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32642/wijas.v2i.1402

Keywords:

Chemical Treatment, Neudamm Farm

Abstract

This study determined the impact of Tebuthiuron application on plant biodiversity over a three-year period at Neudamm farm. A total of 40 (1m2) quadrats were randomly nested in three 250 m2 belt transects per each treatment to record the herbaceous plant density, species composition, dry matter and ground cover. Woody plant density, heights and canopy diameters were measured in each 250 m2 belt transects. A General Linear Model (GLM) procedure of SAS (2007) was used for analyses. The herbaceous biomass production was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in chemically treated site of 2015 (975 Kg DM ha-1) and least in the other two sites. The chemically treated site of 2016 had greater (P < 0.05) ground cover percentage than the other treatment sites. The canopy cover and woody plant densities in all woody height categories were higher (P < 0.05) in the control and chemically treated site of 2017, than the other two sites. The study concluded that the Tebuthiuron had impacted on the plant biodiversity of treated rangelands by improving the herbaceous plant species, biomass yields and reduced bush density. The study recommends that aftercare practices and application of arboricides be carried out routinely to allow herbaceous plants recovery.

Keywords: Bush encroachment, arboricides, plant density, biomass production, canopy

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Published

2020-12-07

How to Cite

Shigwedha, D. N. ., Kahumba, A., & Shikangalah, R. . (2020). A cross sectional comparison of chemical treatment on plant biodiversity at Neudamm farm, Namibia. Welwitschia International Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 2, 45–57. https://doi.org/10.32642/wijas.v2i.1402

Issue

Vol. 2 (2020): Welwitschia International Journal of Agricultural Sciences

Section

Articles

License

The Welwitschia International Journal of Agricultural Sciences (WIJAS) is published under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) license. The license allows users to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format, provided that attribution is given to the creator. The license also allows for commercial use. The WIJAS has migrated from a CC BY-NC 4.0 license to a CC BY 4.0 license to allow for further sharing and re-use of knowledge with no restrictions.