Weed Management in Wheat (Triticum aestivum)

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted in wheat during rabi season of 2003-04 on sandy loam soils at crop research centre of Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel Unversity of Agriculture and Technology, Modipuram, Meerut. The experiment aimed at evaluting the effect of different herbisides (alone and mixtures) against complex weed flora in wheat. The experiment comprised of ten treatments laid out with randomised block design, with three replications. The major treatments were, weedy (no control), weed free, pendimethalin @ 1.25 Its. a.i. ha-1 as preemergence, isoproturon @ 750 g a.i. ha-1 + 2, 4-D @ 250 g a.i. ha-1 (35 DAS), Metribuzin@ 250 g a.i. ha-1 (35 DAS), sulfosulfuron@ 25 g a.i. ha-t (35 DAS), Clodinafop @ 60 g a.i. ha-1 (35 DAS) fb MSM @ 4 g a.i. ha-t ( 40 DAS), Fenoxaprop @ 120 g a.i. ha-t fb MSM @ 4 g a.i. ha-1 40 days after sowing.The major weeds infesting the wheat field were Phalaris minor, Avena 131 fatua,Chenopodium album and Fumaria parviflora. Miscellaneous weeds (Anagallis arvensis, Melilotuis indica and Convolvulus arvensis) were of minor importance. The herbicidal treatment, sulfosulfuron @ 25 g a.i. ha-1 (35 DAS) was most efficient in controlling the weeds (both grassy and non grassy) as compared to other treatments. It also significantly increased the growth parameters; yield attributes and yield of wheat over other treatments. Tank mix application of Isoproturon+2,4-D and clodinofop fb MSM and fenoxaprop fb MSM also controlled the complex weed flora, but was inferior to sufosulfuron. Metribuzin applied as post emergence resulted in reduction in number of spikes, crop dry matter, yield attributes and yield of wheat. Sulfosulfuron treated plots also fetched the highest amount of net returns.