Effect of pre-plant herbicides on weed control and performance of okra Abelmoschus esculentus in a south western nigerian location

Field trials were carried out over two years to evaluate the performance of Okra Abelmuschus esculentus and weed control efficacy using pre-plant herbicides. The treatments were weedy check, pre-plant glyphosate, pre-plant pendimethalin at three different applications of 10, 7, and 3days before planting, and hoe weeding. Pendimethalin applied pre-plant either at 3, 7 or 10DBP at the rate of 1.0kg active ingredient ha ⁻¹ and hoe weeding twice at 3 and 5weeks after planting produced better weed biomass reduction, plant height, and pod yield when compared with the pre-plant glyphosate application and the weedy check control. Pre-plant pendimethalin at 3DP gave slight reduction in emergence and subsequent establishment counts.