COMPETITIVE ABILITY OF DIFFERENT WHEAT VARIETIES AGAINST Phalaris minor (Retz.) IN RELATION TO CROP GEOMETRY
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Date
2011
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Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana
Abstract
A field investigation was conducted at Students’ Research Farm, Deptt. of Agronomy, Punjab
Agricultural University, Ludhiana during rabi 2010-11 to study the competitive ability of
different wheat varieties against Phalaris minor (Retz.) in relation to crop geometry. The
experiment was conducted using Split Plot Design with four replications. Three spacings
(15cm, 22.5cm and 22.5cm × 22.5cm) and two weed control methods (sprayed and
unsprayed) were kept in main plots and four wheat varieties viz: PBW 550, DBW 17, PBW
621 and WH 542 were kept in sub plots. The weed count (118 and 130/m2) and weed dry
weight (22.6 and 24.0q/ha) was found to be significantly less at harvest under bi-directional
(22.5cm × 22.5cm) sowing and closer (15cm) sowing, respectively as compared to normal
22.5cm sowing which resulted in increased grain yield i.e. 56.5q/ha and 52.5q/ha in bidirectional
and closer sowing respectively. The plots sprayed with herbicide showed
significantly less weed count (112/m2) and weed dry matter (21.5q/ha) at harvest which
resulted in increased grain yield in sprayed plots (57.9 q/ha) as compared to unsprayed plots
(45.3q/ha). Among four wheat varieties, PBW 621 and PBW 550 were at par with each other
in terms of grain (57.1 and 55.4 q/ha) and straw (86.5 and 78.8 q/ha) yield due to more
number of effective tillers/m2 (445 and 416), ear length (8.7 and 7.7cm), numbers of grains
per ear (53.7 and 50.5) and thousand grain weight (39.1 and 38.2 g) respectively. The weed
count (120 and 126/m2) and weed dry matter (22.4 and 23.2 q/ha) was found to be
significantly less at harvest for wheat variety PBW 621 and PBW 550, respectively due to
more leaf area index and number of tillers/m2 recorded at different growth stages of wheat
and proved more competitive against Phalaris minor as compared to DBW 17 and WH 542.
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