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INTERACTION OF WILD OAT (AVENA FATUA L.) WITH DIVERGENT WHEAT CULTIVARS

IJAZ AHMAD KHAN^1*, GUL HASSAN¹, KHAN BAHADAR MARWAT¹, IHSANULLAH DAUR², SYED MEHER ALI SHAH³, NAQIB ULLAH KHAN³, SHERAZ AHMAD KHAN³ AND FARHATULLAH³

Abstract: To elucidate the competitive ability of various cultivars of wheat with wild oats, field trials were established at NWFP Agricultural University, Peshawar, Pakistan for two crop seasons i.e. 2004-05 and 2005-06 using Randomized Complete Block (RCB) design having four replications. Each experiment comprised of 6 wheat cultivars viz., Khattakwal, Ghaznavi-98, Fakhar-e-Sarhad, Dera-91, Saleem-2000 and Pirsabak-85. In all the treatments, the wild oats was sown at a constant density of 10 plants m^-2. Data were recorded on tillers m^-2, plant height (cm), number of spikes m^-2, leaf area tiller^-1 (cm²), spikelets spike^-1, spike length (cm), grains spike^-1, 1000 grain weight (g), biological yield (kg ha^-1) and grain yield (kg ha^-1). Most of the parameters were significantly affected by wild oats infestation. During both the years maximum number of tillers m^-2, leaf area (cm²), yield and yield components were produced by Saleem-2000, plant height (cm) and biological yield were however the highest in Khattakwal cultivar. During both years Saleem-2000 and Ghaznavi-98 suppressed the growth of wild oats to the most, exhibiting that plant height was not the only criterion for aggressivity among the wheat cultivars. Whereas, tillers m^-2 emerged as the most important parameter indicative of competitive ability with wild oats, consequently increasing grain yield of wheat.

¹Department of Weed Science, NWFP Agricultural University, Peshawar, Pakistan

²Department of Agronomy, NWFP Agricultural University, Peshawar, Pakistan

³Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, NWFP Agricultural University, Peshawar, Pakistan