EFFECT OF INDIVIDUAL AND TANK MIXED HERBICIDES ON YIELD OF WHEAT CROP

To find out the individual and combined effect of different herbicides on weed control and grain yield of wheat crop, an experiment was carried out at Cereal Crops Research Institute (CCRI) Pirsabak, Nowshera during Rabi season 2006-07. A total of eight treatments were kept in the experiment consisting of six herbicidal, one hand weeding and a weedy check. The experiment was replicated four times in RCBD. The herbicidal treatments were carnfentrazone ethyl + isoproturon @ 0.016, bromoxynil octanovate + heptanovate ester @ 1.23, fenoxaprop-P-ethyl @ 0.94, clodinafop propargyl @ 0.04, clodinafop propargyl + bromoxynil octanovate + heptanovate ester @ 0.04 +1.23, fenoxaprop-P-ethyl + bromoxynil octanovate + heptanovate ester @ 0.94 + 1.23 kg a.i. ha-1. Data were recorded on fresh weed biomass (g m-2), number of tillers plant-1, number of spikes m-2, plant height, number of grains spike-1, 1000 grain weight (g) and grain yield (t ha-1). Carnfentrazone ethyl + isoproturon resulted in the lowest fresh weed biomass (57 g m-2) as compared to weedy check (276 g m-2). However, the best treatment of carnfentrazone ethyl + isoproturon was at par with hand weeding. Similarly, maximum number of tillers (8 plant-1), number of spikes (365 m-2), plant height (113 cm), number of grains (52 spike-2), 1000 grain weight (36g) and grain yield (4.18 t ha-1) were recorded in carnfentrazone ethyl + isoproturon; however it was at par with the hand weeding treatment in mostof the parameters. The herbicide combinations were better than other treatments except carnfentrazone ethyl + isoproturon and hand weeding in most of the parameters. Minimum values of the above mentioned parameters were recorded in the weedy check plots. In the light of our data the herbicide carnfentrazone ethyl + isoproturon @ 0.016 kg a.i ha-1 is recommended as post emergence herbicide for wheat crop.