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Pictorial Guide to Paddy Weeds of Economic Importance: Agronomic and Ethnomedicinal Perspective

Authors

Mohammed Alhaji Bello1*, Halima Mohammed Abba2, Basiri Bristone3, Hadiza Zumami Waru4, Emmanuel Bulus5, Halima Musa Gishiwa6, Yakubu Mahmud Danjaji7
1,4,5,6,7Department of Biology, Umar Suleiman College of Education Gashua, Nigeria.
2Department of Plant Sciences, Gombe State University, Gombe, Nigeria.
3Department of Plant Sciences, Modibbo Adama University Yola, Nigeria. 

Article Information

*Corresponding author: Mohammed Alhaji Bello, Department of Biology, Umar Suleiman College of Education, Gashua, Nigeria.

Received: May 22, 2026     |         Accepted: June 01, 2026       |     Published: June 05, 2026

Citation: Mohammed A Bello, Halima M Abba, Bristone B, Hadiza Z Waru, Bulus E, Halima M Gishiwa, Yakubu M Danjaji., (2026) “Pictorial Guide to Paddy Weeds of Economic Importance: Agronomic and Ethnomedicinal Perspective” International Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine, 2(1). DOI: 10.61148/ 10.61148/IJICM/015.

Copyright:  © 2026 Mohammed Alhaji Bello. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Paddy (rice) is a staple food for billions globally, but weed infestation remains a major constraint to its productivity, causing an estimated yield loss annually. Accurate identification of paddy weeds is crucial for implementing effective management strategies. The present study investigates weeds of economic importance in paddy fields in Usur. Random vegetation surveys were used to conduct the study from June to October 2020. A quadrat measuring 1 m x 1 m was randomly placed in the weed-infested area. Plants observed were photographed, geo-referenced, collected, and prepared as herbarium specimens. Standard keys, manuals, and checklists were utilized for plant identification and organized using the angiosperm plant phylogeny (APG) classification system. Component features in the study were scientific and family names, common English names, life cycle, native/exotic species, lifeforms and medicinal uses. A total of (72) species distributed within (16) families and (50) genera were inventoried. Native (47) and exotic (25) species. Results obtained from this study will be useful in weed management programmes for keeping records of the diversity and distribution of weed species.

Keywords:

Agriculture ecology, Biological activities, ethnobotanical medicine, flora, homeopathy, pharmaceuticals, therapeutics

Introduction:

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