Influence of Herbicides on Weeds and Wheat (Triticum aestivum) Dynamics under Stale Seedbed

Abstract

An experiment was conducted at the Research Farm of the Muhammad Nawaz Shareef University of Agriculture, Multan during the winter season of 2018-19 with the objective to evaluate weed dynamics, growth, and productivity of wheat crop under stale seedbed. This experiment was held under RCBD with three replications. The study consisted of eight treatments viz: T1: stale seedbed + no herbicide, T2: stale seedbed + glyphosate @ 711 a.i mL ha-1, T3: stale seedbed + paraquat-dichloride @ 494 a.i mL ha-1, T4: stale seedbed + atlantis (mesosulfuron-methyl and iodosulfuron-methyl-sodium) @ 15 a.i g ha-1, T5: stale seedbed + glyphosate @ 356 a.i mL ha-1 + paraquat @ 247 a.i mL ha-1, T6: stale seedbed + glyphosate @ 356 a.i mL ha-1 + atlantis @ 7.5 a.i g ha-1, T7: stale seedbed + paraquat @ 247 a.i mL ha-1 + atlantis @ 7.5 a.i g ha-1, T8: stale seedbed + glyphosate @ 237 a.i mL ha-1 + paraquat @ 165 a.i mL ha-1+ atlantis @ 5 a.i g ha-1. The highest WCE (84%), HEI (13.01), Pn (13.83 μmol CO2 m-2 s-1) and gs (234.33 mmol m-2 s-1) was recorded in plots treated with glyphosate + paraquat + atlantis. The highest NAR (3.60 gm-2day-1), LAI (4.82), GCR (7.87 gm-2day-1), LAD (186.43 days) was recorded in the treatment Stale seedbed + glyphosate + paraquat + atlantis. This treatment depicted the highest productive tillers m-2 (246.33), grains spike-1 (53.67), 100-grains weight (31.88 g), and grain yield 40% (4.65 Tons ha-1) in comparison with the no herbicide treated plots. From this study, it is concluded that using the stale seedbed, pre and post-emergence herbicides in reduced doses can restrict weeds growth till 40 DAS to maximize wheat productivity.