DISTRIBUTION OF WEEDS IN WHEAT FIELDS OF DISTRICT BANNU, KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA PAKISTAN

The present study reports the weed species of wheat (Triticum aestivum) fields of ten villages viz Kakki, Ghoriwala, Taji Kala, Surani, Tapi Kala, Garera Shah Jahan, Mira Khel, Daoud Shah, Barak Zai and Domel in district Bannu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Forty-three (43) weed species belonging to (42) genera in 25 families were found distributed as wheat’s weeds in the study area. Out of the 25 families, 2 were monocotyledons, having 4 genera and 4 species. Poaceae had 3 genera and 3 species and Cyperaceae was represented by 1 genus and 1 species. Rest of the 23 families were dicots consisting of 38 genera and 39 species. The most important families in terms of species representation were Asteraceae (7 genera and 7 species) followed by Brassicaceae (6 genera and 6 species), Polygonaceae (2 genera and 3 species), Chenopodiaceae, Papilionaceae and Apiaceae (2 genera and 2 species each), Nyctaginaceae, Plantaginaceae, Solanaceae, Verbenaceae, Boraginaceae, Convolvulaceae, Gentianceae, Primulaceae, Thymelaeaceae, Malvaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Zygophyllaceae, Oxalidaceae, Ranunculaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Urticaceae, and Amaranthaceae with (1 genus and 1 species each). The present research work is a footstep towards the organization of a weed flora, which could be in the same way useful for both botanists as well as other plant scientists.