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Article

Can Cynodon dactylon Suppress the Growth and Development of the Invasive Weeds Tagetes minuta and Gutenbergia cordifolia?

by
Issakwisa B. Ngondya
1,*,
Anna C. Treydte
1,2,
Patrick A. Ndakidemi
1 and
Linus K. Munishi
1
1
Department of Sustainable Agriculture, Biodiversity Conservation and Ecosystem Management, School of Life Sciences and Bio-Engineering, The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, Arusha PO Box 447, Tanzania
2
Agroecology in the Tropics and Subtropics, Hans-Ruthenberg Institute, University of Hohenheim, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Plants 2019, 8(12), 576; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants8120576
Submission received: 22 October 2019 / Revised: 7 November 2019 / Accepted: 12 November 2019 / Published: 6 December 2019
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Invasive Plants)
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Abstract

Approaches to managing invasive plants is challenging, particularly in protected areas where conventional methods, such as chemical herbicide applications are limited. We studied the effects of varying densities of Cynodon dactylon on the growth and development of the invasive weeds Tagetes minuta and Gutenbergia cordifolia in northern Tanzania. We conducted pot and field plot experiments following a completely randomized block design that was replicated three times. Increasing densities of C. dactylon significantly reduced growth, leaf total chlorophyll, biomass and significantly increased leaf anthocyanin of both T. minuta and G. cordifolia invasives. Our results further showed that the critical density of C. dactylon to suppress the two invasive species is ≥ 8 plants/m2. We suggest that C. dactylon can successfully be used as an alternative eco-friendly and sustainable approach for managing invasive weeds, such as T. minuta and G. cordifolia. This management technique can additionally improve forage production and biomass for wild and domestic herbivores in the affected areas.
Keywords: association; Mexican marigold; couch grass; invasion; rangeland; common garden; Eastern Africa association; Mexican marigold; couch grass; invasion; rangeland; common garden; Eastern Africa

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MDPI and ACS Style

Ngondya, I.B.; Treydte, A.C.; Ndakidemi, P.A.; Munishi, L.K. Can Cynodon dactylon Suppress the Growth and Development of the Invasive Weeds Tagetes minuta and Gutenbergia cordifolia? Plants 2019, 8, 576. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants8120576

AMA Style

Ngondya IB, Treydte AC, Ndakidemi PA, Munishi LK. Can Cynodon dactylon Suppress the Growth and Development of the Invasive Weeds Tagetes minuta and Gutenbergia cordifolia? Plants. 2019; 8(12):576. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants8120576

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ngondya, Issakwisa B., Anna C. Treydte, Patrick A. Ndakidemi, and Linus K. Munishi. 2019. "Can Cynodon dactylon Suppress the Growth and Development of the Invasive Weeds Tagetes minuta and Gutenbergia cordifolia?" Plants 8, no. 12: 576. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants8120576

APA Style

Ngondya, I. B., Treydte, A. C., Ndakidemi, P. A., & Munishi, L. K. (2019). Can Cynodon dactylon Suppress the Growth and Development of the Invasive Weeds Tagetes minuta and Gutenbergia cordifolia? Plants, 8(12), 576. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants8120576

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