Journal of Research in Weed Science

Abstract Growing two or more cultivars of the same crop species in mixture reduces intra-specific competition for growth resources by inducing variation in spatial and temporal patterns of crop growth, increases competitive ability of crops against weeds and thus enhances crop yield. This study was conducted to evaluate the potentiality of wheat cultivar mixtures to reduce weed growth and increase the wheat yield under different irrigation regimes, and determine the best row mixture ratio of two wheat cultivars for better weed suppression and higher productivity of wheat. Factors included seven cultivar mixture ratios viz. sole BARI Gom 25, sole BARI Gom 30, 1:2, 2:1, 2:3, 3:2 and 1:1 of BARI Gom 25 to BARI Gom 30, and three water management practices viz. no irrigation, one irrigation at crown root initiation (CRI) stage, and two irrigation at CRI and flowering stages arranged in a split-plot design with three replications. Results clearly indicated that cultivar mixture can improve the competitive ability of wheat plants against weeds and can increase wheat productivity. Both cultivars showed better growth, higher weed suppression and increased yield when grown in mixture irrespective of ratios compared to their monoculture. Based on the combined grain yield, different mixture ratios performed in the order 1:1, 2:3, 1:2 and 2:1 BARI Gom 25 to BARI Gom 30 under two irrigation regimes. BARI Gom 25 and BARI Gom 30 inter-planted in 1:1 row ratio under two irrigation appeared as the best practice resulting 9% and 5.83% yield advantages over sole culture of BARI Gom 25 and BARI Gom 30, respectively; while mixture ratio of 3:2 resulted in 6.43% and 3.36% weed dry matter reduction over sole culture of BARI Gom 25 and BARI Gom 30, respectively. In conclusion, cultivar mixture strategy can be adopted as an effective tool for better weed management and increased yield of wheat. 

Abstract A field study was carried out to evaluate the efficacy of Prioxofop-Propanyl 15% WP (Markclodina) herbicide for wider weeds range in wheat crop during Rabi 2015-16. Six treatments including four herbicides treatments viz. Pendimethalin at 1.0 kg/ha, Clodinafop at 0.060 kg/ha, Markclodina at 0.060 kg/ha, Isoproturon + 2, 4-D at 1.0+0.5 kg/ha along with hand weeding twice (30 and 60 DAS) and one weedy check were used. Avena ludoviciana (34.30 %) and Phlaris minor (25.26 %) were the most dominatinggrassy weeds. New test herbicide Markclodino had better efficacy in controlling Phalaris minor, Avena fatua and Lolium temulentumas evidencedfrom significantly less number of weeds at all the stages of observations. The highest weed control efficiency (80.5 %) was recorded with post emergence application of Markclodina 0.060 kg/ha at 90 DAS. The application of markclodina at 0.06 kg/ha remaining at par with clodinofop propargyl (market sample) at 0.06 kg/ha, isoproturon + 2,4-D at 1.0 + 0.5 kg/ha produced significantly higher grain yield. The magnitude of increase in yield due to Markclodina over weedy check was 68.9 %. Field demonstrations on the performance of Markclodina under various locations showd that there was maximum 19.7 % increase in grain yield over control at distt. Hamirpur (Himachal Pradesh).