| Summary: | Mulching using crop residue reduces the growth of weeds and increases the yield of various crops. The aimof the present study was to evaluate the effects of Gliricidia sepium branches, used as mulch, on weed control, and on grainyield in corn. A randomized block design was used, with split plots and five replications. The cultivars, 30F35H and AG1051, were grown in the plots, and the following treatments applied in the subplots: no weeding, two weedings, and mulchingwith 10, 20 or 30 t ha-1 (fresh weight) gliricidia branches. The mulch material was applied between the sowing furrows aftersowing the corn. Increasing the amount of gliricidia branches caused a linear reduction in weed growth, and increasedgrowth and yield in the corn. Weed growth was less with two weedings than with mulching. Corn yield when carrying outtwo weedings was equivalent to yields obtained using mulch. There was no difference between cultivars for weed growthnor for growth or grain yield of corn. Maximum growth and grain yield in corn are obtained with the application of 22.0 and25.6 t ha-1 gliricidia branches respectively, in both cultivars.
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