peaks at May and mid-August and September to mid- November. The average annual rainfall for Ilorin is 1000- 1240mm. The experiment was a randomized complete block comprising a main plot (36m2×7.8m2) of eight weed manage- ments and a subplot (6m2× 7.8m2) of five legume cover crops (Pueraria phaseoloides (Roxb) Benths, Stylosanthes guianensis (Aubl.) Sw., Mucuna pruriens (L.) Dc var. utilis Wall ex Wight, Mucuna preta and Mucuna jaspeada], with a no legume
cover crop plot as control, replicated in three blocks. The experimental plots were ridged on 12 July, in 2002 and 22 June, in 2004. Each subplot was made up of 6 ridges of 1.3m apart, and 6m long. Maize var. DMRY, was planted on 19 July, 2002 and between 24 and 25 June, in 2004 at an intra-row spacing of 0.25m immediately after soil tillage, two seeds were dropped per hill which was later thinned to one plant per stand to make a plant population of 40,000 plants/hectare. Viable cassava stems