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INTERACTION OF WILD OATS (AVENA FATUA L.) WITH SPRING WHEAT (TRITICUM AESTIVUM L.) SEEDED AT DIFFERENT RATES

IJAZ AHMAD KHAN, GUL HASSAN* AND KHAN BAHADAR MARWAT

Abstract: Wild oat is noxious weed of wheat crop. In order to study the effect of spring wheat seeding rates on wild oats competition, experiments were conducted at Malkandher Research Farm, NWFP Agricultural University Peshawar during Rabi 2004-05. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block (RCB) design with split plot arrangement. Four seed rates: 100, 130,160 and 190 kg ha-1 were assigned to main plots, while wild oats densities 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 seed m-2 were in sub-plots. Data were recorded on number of spikes m-2, grains spike-1, 1000 grain weight (g), and grain yield (kg ha-1). Statistical analysis of the data showed that most of the parameters were statistically significantly affected by wild oats densities and crop seed rates. The highest number of spikes m-2 (281.9), grains spike-1 (50.0) and 1000-grain weight (30.26) were recorded in wheat monocultures (0 wild oat density plot). A crop seed rate of 160 kg ha-1 had significantly more spikes m-2 (283.4), greater spike length (8.58 cm), greater 1000-grain weight (30.87 g) and greater grain yield. Thus, a seed rate of 160 kg ha-1 is recommended for suppression of wild oats population in wheat. The regression analysis also predicted lowest competition of wild oats in wheat seeded at 160 kg ha-1.

Department of Weed Science, NWFP Agricultural University, Peshawar, Pakistan

*Corresponding author: hassanpk_2000pk@yahoo.com