ECOLOGY OF WEEDS IN WHEAT CROPS OF KALASH VALLEY, DISTRICT CHITRAL, HINDUKUSH RANGE, PAKISTAN

The present study was conducted during the year 2014 to record the weed flora of wheat crops in three localities (Bumburet, Rumbor and Birir) of historical Kalash valley, district Chitral. For the first time, a total of 59 weed species were recorded from the investigated area belonging to 51 genera and 25 families. Family Asteraceae was dominant with 10 species (16.94%) followed by Poaceae with 8 species (13.55%). Brassicaceae had 6 species (10.17%) while Caryophyllaceae, Chenopodiaceae and Fabaceae were with 4 species (6.78%) each. The remaining families were represented by 2 or less species each. Life form classes showed that 48 species (81.35 %) were therophytes, 6 (10.17%) were geophytes and 5 (8.47%) species were hemicryptophytes. Leaf size spectra revealed that mesophylls was leading group with 16 (27.11%) species followed by microphylls 15 (25.42%), nannophylls 13 (22.03%), macrophylls 11 (18.64%), aphyllous 2 (3.38%) and leptophylls and megaphylls had one (1.70 %) species each. Similarly, phenologically 45 (76.27%) species were at reproductive stage, 11 (18.64%) in post-reproductive stage and 3 (5.08%) in pre-reproductive stage. The consistency classes were determined to know the percentage distribution of the species. The present findings provided baseline information about the weeds of the area and might be helpful for proper management and control of these weeds.