Status of weeds and weed management practices in finger millet growing areas in eastern Uganda

Finger millet (Eleusine coracana (L.) is a staple food crop and income earner in most drought stressed areas in Uganda. Unfortunately, rural communities are increasingly abandoning production of the crop due to complications with weeding arising from intensive labour associated with broadcast as a method of finger millet sowing and weeds infestation. However, limited research has been undertaken with respect to weeds affecting this crop and this has formed the rationale of this study. The objective of this study was to inventory the current weed profile, management practices and challenges faced in finger millet production within Lake Kyoga basin in Uganda. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data from households in the millet producing area in Pallisa and Buyende Districts. In Pallisa District almost all (95%) households grew finger millet mostly in the first season; while in Buyende District 67% indicated that the crop is grown in both rainy seasons. Striga hermonthica (Delile) Benth was a menace in Pallisa District while Acanthosperm hispidium and Oxygonium sinuatum were dominant weeds in Buyende District. Weed diversity was greater in Buyende District (32 weed species) compared to Pallisa District (18 weed species). Weeding activities which constituted the burdensome component of finger millet production were done by women and children in Pallisa District. Buyende District had a fairly balanced distribution of roles among gender groups. Inaddition, it was established that in Pallisa district there inadequate extension services and they are almost non-existence in Buyende district, limited availability of labour particularly for weeding, frequent drought, low soil fertility, use of landrace seeds and termites limited production potential of the crop.