| Abstract: | Summary. Undisturbed natural infestations of annual weeds, mainly Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop, and Richardia scabra L., reduced the yield of harvestable peanuts [groundnuts) by an average of 20% over an 8-year period. Yield reductions in individual years ranged from I to 50%, depending mainly on the density of the weed population. From one to 5%‘non-dirting’ cultivations generally did not reduce yield as compared with hand weeding, unless environmental conditions favoured development of the disease southern blight (Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc.) on uncultivated peanuts. |
