Evaluation of herbicides for weed control in wheat at varying densities

A field trial on weed control in wheat was conducted at Agricultural Research Station. Chitral (NWFP-Pakistan), during 2004-05 using split plot arrangement of treatments. Three seeding rates (100, 125 and 150 kg per ha) were assigned to main-plots while four herbicides (bromoxynil + MCPA (% 0.45. clodinafop-propargyl @ 0.04, fenoxaprop-p-ethyl @ 0.75, isoproturon @ 1 kg a.i. per ha) and a weedy check were allotted to subplots. Maximum weed control (79%) and minimum weed biomass (1086 kg per ha) were observed in bromoxynil + MCPA followed by isoproturon (77 % and 1157 kg per ha, respectively) as compared to the biomass in weedy control (3770 kg per ha). Similarly, grain yield (2504 kg per ha) and thousand grain weight (41 g) were the best in bromoxynil + MCPA followed by isoproturon (2291 kg per ha and 40 g, respectively) as compared to weedy control (1406 kg per ha, and 37 g, respectively). Thus, the best weed management and yield were recorde d in plots with bromoxynil + MCPA @ 0.45 kg or isoproturon @ 1 kg a.i. per ha, post emergence and a seeding rate of 125 kg per ha.