The control of Echinochloa stagnina (Retz.) P. Beauv. by harvesting for dry season livestock fodder in Lake Kainji, Nigeria - a modelling approach.
Abstract
The use of E. stagnina, the major component of the emergent vegetation of Lake Kainji, is described. A simple model of the colonization potential of E. stagnina, used to investigate the effects of harvesting on the grass, is described. The model demonstrated that 28-46% of the surface of the lake could have been covered by E. stagnina during 1972-83 and that 75% of the standing crop could be cut for harvest each yr, assuming a colonization factor of 5.1 and constant yearly productivity. The model was particularly sensitive to variation in the colonization factor.