Impact of Sorghum extract type, concentration and application time on weeds dry weight, cost benefit ratio and harvest index of Wheat

A field trial was conducted at Agricultural University Peshawar in year 2014-15 to evaluate effect of sorghum extract type, concentration and application time on weeds dry weight, cost benefit ration and harvest index of wheat. Randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications was used. Experiment was composed of two sorghum extract types (stem and leaf extract), three extract concentrations (1:3, 1:4 and 1:5 kg L^sup -1^) and three application time (emergence (E), tillering (T) and 50% at E + 50 at T). Herbicides (H) treated, hand weeding (HW) and control plots were included in each replication for comparison. H treated plots gave fewer weeds dry weight (32.1 g m^sup -2^), more grains spike^sup -1^ (50.9), heavier spike weight (3.40 g), more harvest index (H.I) (37.9 %), more gross income (G.I) (Rs.208750 ha^sup -1^), more net return (N.R) (Rs. 175510 ha^sup -1^) and higher value cost ratio (V.C.R) (6.6). Among concentrations sorghum water extract (SWE) applied with 1:3 concentration produced lighter weeds dry weight (66.7 g m^sup -2^), more grains spike^sup -1^ (47.6), heavier spikes weight (2.40 g), higher H.I (30.2 %), more G.I (Rs.194653 ha^sup -1^), more N.R (Rs. 156746 ha^sup -1^) and higher V.C.R (5.6). Among application time SWE applied at tillering resulted in lesser weeds dry weight (68.2 g m^sup -2^), more grains spike^sup -1^ (45.5), more spike weight (2.90 g), maximum H.I (34.4 %), more G.I (Rs.188025 ha^sup -1^), more N.R (Rs. 157083 ha^sup -1^) and higher V.C.R (5.8). Leaf water extract (LWE) produced lighter weeds dry weight (70.8 g m^sup -2^), more grains spike^sup -1^ (45.3), heavier spike weight (2.80 g), high H.I (34 %), more G.I (Rs.189616 ha^sup -1^), less N.R (Rs. 156746 ha^sup -1^) and lower V.C.R (4.8) compared with stem water extracts. It is concluded that LWE applied with 1:3 concentration sprayed at tillering reduced weeds dry weight and increased grains spike^sup -1^, spike weight and harvest index of wheat and is recommended for decreasing weeds dry weight and increasing H.I of wheat and farmer profit in agro climatic condition of Peshawar.