REDUCED HERBICIDE DOSES IN COMBINATION WITH ALLELOPATHIC PLANT EXTRACTS SUPPRESS WEEDS IN WHEAT

摘要

Allelopathy is gaining popularity worldwide probably for decreasing the cost of production and environment friendlyweed suppressing approach. Repeated field studies conducted during 2011-12 and 2012-13 at Agricutural Research InstituteTarnab, Peshawar, Pakistan where allelopathic water extracts of Oryza sativa, Parthenium hysterophorus, Phragmitesaustralis and Datura alba along with reduced doses of phenoxaprop-p-ethyl and bromoxinil+MCPA were tested forcontrolling weeds in wheat. It was observed that weed density was encouragly suppressed whereas spike length (cm),number of spikelets spike-1 and 1000 grain weight (g) of the wheat were improved when the allelopathic plant water extractswere used in combination with lower doses of herbicides. Thus, allelochemicals provide weed suppressing option in wheat.However, more studies are required to fully explore the possibility of weed management and isolation of the chemicalsinvolved in weed suppression for environment friendly weed management in wheat. Such studies may decrease the cost ofcrop production and total use of herbicides.