STUDY OF VARIOUS HERBICIDES FOR WEED CONTROL IN WHEAT UNDER IRRIGATED CONDITIONS

A field experiment was conducted at Malakandher Farm, NWFP Agricultural University Peshawar during the rabi season 2004- 2005. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block (RCB) design with four replications. Six treatments were kept in each replication with five post-emergence herbicides including Topik 15 WP @ 0.04 kg, Puma super 75 EW @ 0.75 kg, Buctril super 60 EC @ 0.45 kg, Isoproturon 50 WP @ 1.0 kg, Aim 40 DF @ 0.02 kg a.i. ha-1 and a weedy check. The parameters found significantly affected were weed control efficiency (%), fresh weed biomass (kg ha-1), number of tillers m-2, 1000-grain weight (g) and grain yield (kg ha-1). Statistically maximum weed control efficiency (85.4 %) and minimum fresh weed biomass (1015 kg ha-1) was observed in plots treated with Isoproturon 50 WP followed by Buctril super 60 EC with values (77.3 %) and (1330 kg ha-1) respectively as compared to the fresh weed biomass (3175 kg ha-1) in the weedy check. Similarly number of tillers (253 m-2), 1000-grain weight (38.9 g), biological yield (13500 kg ha-1) and grain yield (3250 kg ha-1) were maximum in Isoproturon 50 WP treatments followed by Buctril super 60 EC treatments with values (210 m-2), (34.8 g), (11420 kg ha-1) and (2883 kg ha-1) respectively as compared to the weedy check (136 m-2), (23.4 g), (9834 kg ha-1) and (1834) respectively. The herbicide Isoproturon 50 WP @ 1.0 kg a.i. ha-1 followed by Buctril super 60 EC @ 0.45 kg a.i. ha-1 both applied as post emergence in wheat performed well in the entire weed and crop data parameters and showed effectively weed control in wheat.