Effect of different weed management practices on growth and yield of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)
Main Article Content
Abstract
The Agronomy Section of the Agriculture Research Institute (ARI), Tandojam, conducted the study during the Rabi season of 2022. The study used a randomized complete block layout design, with a net plot size of 5 m x 3 m (15 m2), three replications, and six treatments. One treatment, T1, was a weedy check, one treatment, T2, was hand pulling weeds once (30 DAS), one treatment, T3, was Topik 15 WP @ 300 g ha-1 (30 DAS), one treatment, T4, was an allelopathic plan (sorghum) at a 1:5 concentrations at 12 L/ha once (30 DAS), one treatment, T5, was an allelopathic plant (sorghum) at a 1:10 concentration at 12 L/ha once (30 DAS), two treatments, T6 and seven treatments, each with a 1:15 concentration at 12 L/ha twice (30+60 DAS). The parameters under study included plant height (cm), spike length (cm), number of grains per spike, grain weight (g), seed index (1000 grain weight), biological yield (kg/ha), grain yield (kg/ha), harvest index (%), weed population (m2), and weed control (%). The results are summarized below. The results of various weed management practices on the wheat crop significantly (P 0.05) influenced the present findings, revealing that T7 = Allelopathic plant (sorghum) at a 1:10 concentration @ 12 L ha-1 twice (30+60 DAS) recorded the maximum plant height (961.1 cm), spike length (12.0 cm), grains spike-1 (62.1), grain weight spike-1 (2.7 g), seed index (57.7 g), biological yield (11790 kg/ha), grain yield (4486.7 kg/ha), and harvest index (38.4). On the other hand, T1 = Control (weedy check) recorded the minimum plant height (71.2 cm), spike length (8.2 cm), grains spike-1 (32.8), grain weight, spike-1 (2.2 g), seed index (43.2 g), biological yield (8699 kg/ha), grain yield (3181.7 kg/ha), and harvest index (36.5%). Furthermore, T7 = Allelopathic Plant (Sorghum) recorded the maximum weed population (35.3 m2) and weed control (64.3%) at a 1:10 concentration @ 12 L ha-1 twice (30+60 DAS). In contrast, T1 = Control (weedy check) recorded the lowest weed population (34.0 m-2) and weed control (9.8%). It is concluded that various weed management practices significantly impacted all measures of growth and yield. After planting wheat, a 1:10 concentration of Allelopathic Plant (sorghum) was applied twice at a rate of 12 L ha-1, 30 and 60 days later. This greatly improved the crop's growth and yield, leading to a high grain yield of 4486.7 kg/ha.
Keywords: Growth; Weed management; Wheat; Yield