Eromosele J Gold
Federal University
Title: Diversity of herbaceous flora of intensively cultivated practical year training program farm of the faculty of agriculture & forestry, University of Ibadan
Biography
Biography: Eromosele J Gold
Abstract
The study was conducted to find out the spatial distribution of weed species diversity, their abundance and species richness on the practical year training program farm of the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Ibadan. The area of the farm was determined using Garmin etrex H GPS model (Unit ID 3637541523) and confirmed using trigonometry. It was divided into 21 plots of 150 m2 each, leaving a strip of 5 m round for edge effects. Six (1m2) square quadrats (126 in all) were randomly laid on each plot to access the herbaceous flora of the farm. Flora presence and density values were evaluated for Relative Importance Values (RIV), diversity indices and weed relationship to soil type following Kent and Coker (1992); and standard soil testing procedures respectively. A total of fifty three (53) plant species belonging to eighteen (18) families were enumerated. Tridax procumbens had the highest Relative Importance Value (11.73), distantly followed Cynodon dactylon (6.44). Tridax procumbens was prevalent in plots not subjected to crop rotation. Lowest numbers of plants were enumerated on clay soils where Tridax procumbens were mostly prevalent. Margalef index (12.81), Mehinick index (6.959), and Dominance (0.05262) indicated high overall species richness, high species richness in each plot, and low overall dominance respectively