Abstract:
Senecio jacobaea L. is an annual or perennial plant which is distributed throughout the world.
It is regularly to be seen growing along roadsides, on waste grounds, areas of poor land
management, spreading easily onto pastures and farms. Thus the study was conducted in eight
kebeles of Adama woreda, Oromia, Ethiopia to determine spatial distribution, abundance and
impact of S. jacobaea in selected agricultural crops. The study put forward scientific approach
into the impacts of the weedy species on agricultural yield and soil PH and moisture content.
Spatial distribution and abundance of S. jacobaea was determined by establishing quadrats in
selected kebeles proportionally. The allolepatic impacts of S. jacobaea on agricultural crops
were measured by preparing compost from the weed itself. S. jacobaea bound soil PH and soil
moisture was also examined. The activity of local community who selected systematically
from the randomly selected 8 kebeles of the woreda, to control the weed was assessed using
semi-structured interview. SPSS version 16 software programs were used to analyze the data
collected. Adama woreda was found to be infested by S. jacobaea. The abundance and spatial
distribution was different from area to area and among land covers types. It was found
distributed randomly in farmland and uniformly in bushland and grassland. S. jacobaea had an
impact to increase soil moisture but insignificant to increase soil PH. The compost prepared
from S. jacobaea was inhibited the growth of maize and tef whereas it activated the growth of
potato. The main spreading agent of S. jacobaea was flood, wind, pollinator, transportation
and human being. So integrated management system and effective prevention measurement
techniques such as biological control, herbicides, cultural method and mechanical method
should be practiced to control the invasion of the weed.
