Vegetos

Abstract

Chenopodium murale is a noxious weed infested a wide range habitats, causing deleterious impact especially in field crops. Understanding factors controlling the distribution and frequency of weedy species facilitate their management. The aim of this study was to investigate the soil variables controlling the distribution of C. murale in different habitats (mesophytic, saline, canal bank and roadside habitats) in the Nile Delta. The results revealed that the C. murale frequency was high as follows, mesophytic > roadside > canal bank > saline. Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) showed that moisture content (MC), organic carbon (OC), total nitrogen (TN), clay particles, total phosphorus (TP) and salinity were the most important soil variables controlling the distribution of C. murale at the different habitats. Correlation coefficient (r) between C. murale frequency with soil variables e.g. MC, OC, TN and TP showed a significant positive correlation, whereas, salinity showed a negative significant correlation. Results of regression analysis developing a model to predict future responses of C. murale frequency by supplying the soil variables. The results propose that C. murale favored clayey soil rich in OC, TN and total TP, whereas its frequency decreased with increasing salinity.