Weed diversity in tomato crops in the mountainous region of South Kivu, DR Congo

Description of the subject. Despite the importance of tomato in Central Africa, little is known about the weed flora occurring in tomato crops in this part of the world. Objectives. We aimed to provide a comprehensive description of the weed flora found in tomato crops in the mountainous region of South Kivu, DR Congo. Method. Floristic inventories were made in four cultivation zones of the Kabare territory, South Kivu. Results. In total, 79 species (belonging to 64 genera and 31 families) were recorded. The most species-rich families were Asteraceae and Poaceae. Therophytes and geophytes were the dominant life forms. Weed diversity was not significantly different between sites but species composition varied considerably, likely in relation to soil type. Based on the frequency and the abundance, the most problematic weeds were Commelina benghalensis, Galinsoga quadriradiata, Commelina diffusa, Galinsoga parviflora, Bidens pilosa, Oxalis debilis and Digitaria velutina. Conclusions. The weed flora in tomato fields of the mountainous regions of DR Congo is diversified, but only a few cosmopolitan species are problematic.