Survey on distribution and importance of cereal crop weeds in midland and lowland of guji zone, southern oromia

A weed survey was carried out during 2014 and 2015 main cropping seasons with in two agro-ecologies (Mid land and Low land) of Guji zone, Southern Oromia, to assess the distribution and importance of cereal crop weeds as well as to investigate the most dominant weed flora in cereal crops. For this survey, data was collected from four agro-ecologically representative districts where two districts were selected from each agro-ecology purposively. From each districts four Peasant associations were selected and totally, 80 fields were assessed during this survey. Collected data was tested using quantitative and descriptive tools. Accordingly, a total of 42 weed taxa belonging to 18 plant families were identified. Among these families, Gramineae, compositae, polygonaceae and Rubiaceae were the most abundant families recorded during the investigation. Snowden Polistachia, Avena fatua, Bromus pectinatus Thunb, Phalaris paradoxa L, Setaria pumila, Digitaria abyssinica, Galansoga Palviflora, Guizotia Scabra, Tagetes minuta L, Bidens pilosa L, Bidense pachloma , Parthinium hystrophorus L., Polygonum Nepalense , Oxygonum sinuatum, Rumex abyssinica , Andropogon Abyssinicus, Lauracaea Cornuta, Galium Sporium were the most frequent species (68%) followed by Snowden Polistachia (51%). Furthermore, most of farmers(90%) in mid and low land districts mentioned Setaria Verticillata (L.)and Setaria Pumila as important weeds which are the most abundant, frequency and dominant weed species of cereal crops. at both Mid land and Low land agro-ecologies of Guji Zone. In general, this study would provide basic information's regarding the situation of cereal crop weeds in different agro ecologies of Guji Zone that could serve as corner stone for future research on weed.