Allelopathic Potential of Sunflower Extract on Weed Control and Wheat Yield Under Subtropical Conditions

摘要

A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of sunflower plant extract on weed control and productivity of wheat. Dried and fresh sunflower plant extracts (SPE) were applied @ 5 t ha~(-1) and 10 t ha~(-1) at pre- and post-emergence of weeds in wheat plots. In addition, weed free, manual weeding and unweeded control treatments were also imposed in the experiment. Application of fresh SPE @ 10 t ha~(-1) at post-emergence contributed to the highest weed control efficiency, next to manual weed control treatment throughout the crop growing period. This treatment showed the highest weed control efficiency of 49.71% and 53.41% at 45 and 60 days after sowing, respectively. Application of fresh SPE @ 5 t ha~(-1) at post-emergence was found to be beneficial on the growth and development of wheat compared to other treatments. Apart from weed free and unweeded situations, the highest grain yield of 3.91 t ha~(-1) was recorded in the treatment receiving fresh SPE @ 5 t ha~(-1) applied at post-emergence. The study further suggested that the application of fresh sunflower plant extract @ 5 ha~(-1) during post-emergence might be considered as a viable alternative to traditional weed management practices under subtropical environment.