The response of Typha australis to stem cut at three different heights was studied for four weeks. This was carried out in the field between August and September 2003. Matured Typha australis naturally occuring along the stream within the Institute Integrated Fish Pond Complex, New Bussa were randomly selected. The shoots were cut at 10cm, 20cm, and 30cm, above the soil level. The responses of the plant were assessed. Plant cut at 10cm showed re-growth for one week and later died, while those cut at 20cm and 30cm showed re-growth through out the period of experiment. Result showed previous height between 10cm and 20cm is significant (P>0.05) between 10cm and 30cm height re-growth rates. But plant cut at 20cm and 30cm showed no significant (P>0.05), in height. The results show the susceptibility of Typha australis to stem cut at 10cm or below. Typha australis cut at 10cm above soil level are not likely to surviva

Adesina, G.O.

Birnin-Yauri, Y.A.

Daddy, F.

Owotunse, S.

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PERFORMANCE OF TYPHA AUSTRALIS CUT AT
THREE DIFFERENT HEIGHTS
By
Y. A. Birnin Yaun, F. Daddy, G.O. Adesina and S. Owotunse
National Institute for Freshwater Fisheries Research,
P.M.B 6006, New Bussa, Niger State, Nigeia
ABSTRACT
The,response of Typha australis to stem cut at three different heights was studied for four weeks,
This was carried out in the field between August and September 2003. Matured Typha australis
naturally occurring along the stream within the Institute Integrated Fish Pond complex, New-
Bussa were randomly selected .The shoots were cut at 10cm, 20cm, and 30cm. above the soil
leve!. The responses of the plant were assessed. Plant cut at 10cm showed re-gmwth for one
vvpek and later died, while those cut at 20cm and 30cm showed re-growth through out the period
of experiment Result showed previous height between 10cm and 20cm is significant (P.< C.05)
between 10cin and 30cm height re-growth rates. But plant cut at 2.0cm and 30cin showed no
significant (P> 005), i,iheight. The results show the susceptibility of Typha australis to stem cut at
0C177 or below. Typha austral's cut at 1 0CIT1 above soil level are not likely to survive.
INTRODUCTION
Report on the national surveys of infestation of water hyacinth and other noxious weeds
in water bodies have revealed that Typha grass is found almost throughout the ecological zones
of Nigeria. Although research has shown that the plant is native to Nigeria (NIFFR 2000) but its
alarMing rate of spread calls for concerns. This is particularly important in most river basins in the
northern part of Nigeria where major agricultural projects such as Chad Basin Authority, South
Chad Irrigation and other several multi-purpose dams are situated
Typha australis is an emergent grass, which is mainly rooted or anchored in the
subStratum to produce emergent vegetative shoots. It predominates vegetative community in
many swamps and marshes and often forms a fringe of vegetation along lakeshores dr: other
water bodies especially slow running water. (Mefit- Babtic, 1983).Typtia spp like other swamp
plants are generally very fibrous for example the cell wall fraction of makes up over 70% of the
dry weight of the plants (Polinisi and Boyd 1972). Where the plant population is massive it
impedes water transportation, farming and fishing activities as well as delivery 6f irrigation water
along the canals with substantial consequences on the income generating activities of the local
communities. How ever study has shown that Typha serves as food for multitudes of animals
both aquatic and tarrestrial for an example, Muskrats eat Typha austrafis rhizomes and young
shoot (Macdonald": a89) in Sudan it was used to feed animal during extreme dry season
NCRSNA (1975). I ne grass can colonise the canal prevent, supply of water through the canal
after sometime. It can also reduce solar radiation at the water surface, lower wind speeds (Lind
1974) Typha encourages evapo-tranpiration in tropical swamps area. (Howard et al.
1974).Problems accounted with the grass far out weight the benefit thus the need to control the
colonisation
The use of manual and mechanical methods was reviewed by Robson (1974) and
Nichols (1974), while the use of complex machinery to deal with excessive growth. of same as
Typha grass in nutrient enriched lake system was discilissed by Livermore et al, (1969). There
are two main forms of this method of aquatic plant control,. Cutting and dredging, the latter by
machinery only. The putting tools available for manual use are mostly modified forms of
163
agricultural tools to cut terrestrial vegetation. They have the considerable benefit of precise
selection of which vecietation to remove and at which level to cut it.
There are number of factors to take into account when cutting method is employed in
order to successfully kill the plants. Nichols, (1974) has demonstrated that the effectiveness of
cutting depends markedly on the season and frequency of Singh eta/. (1976) found it was most
effective to cut Typha plants and submerged for 4 weeks there was almost no regeneration (Sale
and Wetzel 1983). This is because Typha rhizomes are effectively drowned belovv the water
surface also Huska (1978) observed that two cuts of Typha below the water are necessary for
long-term control.
Although study in Asia countries have justified the effectiveness of the control method
little information is available on Typha occurring in Nigeria, and at what level of cutting will control
the plant is not know. Several measures have been evolved to control the weeds such as
chemical, biological and mechanical.
Thè objective of this research was to study the re-growth rate of Typha grass cut at three
different heights under field condition with view to developing strategies and proffer solution
towards control of Typha grass.
ATE1-18ALS AND METHODS
St dy Area
This study was conducted at a site located in the Northern Guinea savannah zone of
Nigeria. The climate is tropical with a distinct rainy season (April-October) and dry season
(November-March) with mean annual rainfall 1100mm. (Obot 1991) the experimental site was
within the Institute Integrated Fishpond Complex New Bussa:
Field investigatio
Matured Typha spp naturally occurring along the stream within the Institute Integrated
Fishpond Complex New Bussa were randomly selected and cut at lengths of 10cm 20cm and
30cm above ground surface with sharp sickle in August 2003. Observation in September 2003.
Each treatment was replicated three times marked A1,2 3 B1, 2.3 and C1,2 3 in the field. The
nine randomly selected plants were observed weekly for re-growth rate and tiller counts betWeen
August and September 2003. Observation were record weekly for four week
DISCUSSION
Figure 1 shows the average replicates of re-growth rates of Typha australis in the field
conditions. 10cm re-growth rate at first increases but eventually decreases and died, while at 20
cm and 30cm re-growth continued throughout the four weeks (Figure 1), Typha usually produce
tillers from the nodes of old stems, provided the mud iS wet'enough for survived. The rhizomes
can be dominant during dry season periods when rain .starts mainly by the production of tillers
from nodes of the previous season plants. .
From the experimental observations, it is known that" when plants are cut above water,
the nodes maintained above water become active, produCing new tillers. However, when the
plant is cut below water it dies and the stem starts to decay within a few days. Higher increase in
the stem cut at 20cm 30cm may have attributed to the rapid re-growth been that the grass bears
a lot of leaves to carry out photosynthesis. The whole plant was used as control experiment
increased in height and number of tillers. All was recorded and shown in Table 1. Results shows
that plants cut at 10cm died, while 20cm, 30cm show steady growth through out the four weeks
observation. . Cook (1980). reviewed the use of Lake draw-down as a macrophyte control
technique and concluded that the technique can be effective, but is species specific, because
some species are resistance to over flood. These indicated that if the rhizome is over flooded
there are all tendencies for the plant to die. This strategy is less costly compare to chemical
considering the risk and damage to the environment.
1 64
Result showed previous height between 10cm and 20cm is significant (P< 0.05) between
10cm and 30cm height re-growth show the susceptibility of rates. But plant cut at 20cm and 30cm
showed no significant (P> 005), in height. The results Typha australis to stem cut at 1 Ocrn or
below. Typha australis cut at 10cm above soil level are not likely to survive,
Bidwell (1976) observed that during the draw-down in lake Kainji the emergence flora, mainly
Echinochia species does not die by being stranded but re-floats when the lake rises Van der Valk
and Davis (1980) working in a prairie glacial marsh, reported that periodic draw-drown enable
several emergent speties to co-exist in a community because of their diverse response to
disturbance_
Weeks
Figure 1:Re-crowth rate of Ttvpha austrlis
Figure 1: Average re-growth rate of Typha austrlis
Table 1: Number of tillers of Typha after cutting at different height
Number of leaves tiller
, -Dates 10cm above the 20crri above the 1 30em above the
soil soil soil
28/8/03 2 3 i
-29/8/03 0 6
_
165
Whole plan s
1 2 3 4
13
17
.... _ r_
30/8/03 I
31/9/03 ' 0
0 ,
,
8
1
17 I 30
1/9/03 0
10 1 24
1 --11-------t----------;;--- -t----18 L 2u 40
219/03 0 li 26 i 28 48
3/9/03 0 i 30 i-i_ 30 50
ENCES
Bidwell A. (1976). The effect of water level fluctuations on the Biology of lake Kanji Nigeria. The
Nigeria field XLL (4) 156-156.
Cook G. D. (1980). Lake level draw as macrophyte control techniques water resources Bulletin
37-322.
Howard Williams. C. and Walker B. H.( 1974). The vegetation of tropical African lake
classification and ordination of the vegetation of lake (Chilwa Malawi). Journal cf Ecology
62; pp831-854.
Husak. S. (1978). Control of reed and reed mace stand by cutting in; D. Dykjova and j. kvet
(ed.); pond Littoral Ecosystems spring verlay Berlin pp404-408.
Lind E.M. a Morrison M.E.S (1974).7East African vegetation Long man pp 34-38
Livermore, D.F. and Wunderlich, W.E. (1969). Mechanical removal of organic production from
waterways. In: Eutrophication causes, consequences, and corrective. National Academy
of Sciences, Washington, D.c. 424 519.
MacDonald. G. H .and Brown, R. A (1989). Population dynamic of an asexual brine shrimp
Artemia population. Journal Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. 133; 169 188
pp.
Mefit Babtic (1983). Development studies in the Jonglei Canal Area. Swamp Ecology survey
Report to the Jonglei Executive Organ, .Government PP 110 118.
NCRSNA. (1975). National Council for Research of Sudan and National Academy Prospects for
the Sudan and the Nile Basin. Aquatic Weed management Workshop 24 29 Nov.:
1975, Khartoum. New bold, C. 1975. Herbicides in Aquatic Systems Biological
Conservation
NIFFR (2002). National surveys of infestation of water hyacinth Typha grass and other
noxious weed in water bodies of Nigeria pp 12-22.
Nichcals, S.A.; (1974). Mechanical Habitant Manipulation for aquatic plant management.
Technical Bulletin; Department of Natural Resources Wisconsin No. 77.
Obot E.A.I.Abolaji and F.Daddy. (1991). Contributions to the Biology and utilisation of Wild
Guinea Corn (Sorghum arundinaceum Stapf.)
J. M. and Boyd C. E. (1972). Relationships between cell wall fractions, Nitrogen and
standing crop in aquatic Macrophytes. p 92.
Sale,13. J. M. and Wetzel, R. G. (1983). Growth and Metabolism of Typha Spp in Relation to
cutting treatments. Aquatic Botany .pp 327 334.
Singh, S. P., Dahuja; S. S. and Moolani, M. K. (1976). Cultural control of Typha angustata at
different stages of growth. In; C. K. Varshney and J. R. Zoska (Eds.). Aquatic weeds in
South East Asia Jank. The Hague; pp245 247.
Vander Valk, A.G. and Davis C.B. (1980). The importance of natural draw-down on the growth of
four emerged species in a prairies glacial marsh Aquatic Botany 9:301-3 2.
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Performance of Typha australis cut at three different heights

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