Pak. J. Weed Sci. Res.

16(2): 139-144, 2010

PERFORMANCE OF DIFFERENT HERBICIDES FOR THE

CONTROL OF WILD OATS AND YIELD OF WHEAT CROP UNDER
ARID CLIMATE OF PUNJAB, PAKISTAN
Ghulam Abbas1, Muhammad Anjum Ali2, Raffaqat Hussain3,
Zafar Abbas2, Muhammad Aslam2 and Muhammad Nawaz2
ABSTRACT
A field study was conducted at Adaptive Research Farm,
Karor (District Layyah), during 2007-08, to evaluate the
efficacy of different post emergence herbicides on narrow leave
weed (Avena fatua) in wheat crop. The Experiments were laid
out in Randomized complete block (RCBD) design with three
replications and plot size was 8 m x 13 m during both the
years. Four different herbicides viz. Topik @ 300 g ha-1, puma
super @ 625 mL ha-1, Pujing @ 625 mL ha-1 and fenoxaprop @
625 mL ha-1. A control (untreated) treatment was also included
in the trial. The observations i.e. number of weeds after
spray/m2, Plant height (cm), number of tillers m-1, number of
spikelets per spike, number of grains per spike and grain yield
(kg ha-1) were recorded. All the herbicides significantly
decreased weed population over control and maximum grain
yield (4167 kg ha-1) was obtained where Topik @ 300 g ha-1 was
applied. It was however, statistically at par with the grain yield
obtained by the application of Puma super @ 625 mL ha1
(4100kg ha-1), Pujing @ 625mL ha-1 (3833 kg ha-1) and
fenoxaprop @ 625 mL ha-1 (3817 kg ha-1. It is thus
recommended that Topic and Puma super may be applied @
300 g and 625 mL ha-1, respectively for the control of narrow
leave weeds of wheat.
Key words: Post emergence herbicides, narrow leave weeds, Avena
fatua, wheat, arid, climate, Pakistan.
INTRODUCTION
Wheat is an important cereal grain crop of the world. It is
staple food of majority of the people and meets the diversified food
requirements of both the urban and rural population of Pakistan.
During 2008-09, it was grown on an area of 9.062 million ha-1 with an
annual production of 23.421 million tons of grains giving average yield
of 2.60 tons ha-1 (Anonymous, 2009). Although there are many
1

Adaptive Research Farm, Karor (District Layyah) Pakistan E-mail: [email protected]

Directorate General of Agriculture (Ext. & Adaptive Research) Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
3
Faculty of Agriculture, Gomal University, Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan
2

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Ghulam Abbas et al., Performance of different herbicides for

reasons for low productivity of wheat but weed infestation is a basic

and major component of low yield in crop production system. In
Pakistan, it is estimated that annual losses caused by weeds may be
28 billions rupees (Marwat et al., 2006). Because of the high
competitive ability and high reproductive potential of weeds, it is
imperative to check their infestation. Weeds compete with the crop
plants for nutrients, moisture, space, light and many other growth
factors which not only reduce crop yield but also deteriorate quality of
farm produce and thereby reduce its market value (Cheema and
Akhtar, 2005). The weed control has been practiced since the time
immemorial by manual labour and/or animal drawn implements, but
these practices were laborious, tiresome and expensive due to
increasing cost of labour. The growing mechanization of farm
operations and ever increasing labor wages has stimulated interest in
the use of chemical weed control. Chemical weed control is the easiest
and most successful alternative method. It is important to deal with
wild oats early. Thats because the time to protect your yield is before
wild oats have done the damage.
Reports are available on the efficacy of different herbicides in
wheat (Khan et. al., 1999; Khan et al., 2001; Khan, et al., 2002;
Hassan et al., 2003). The herbicide use in Pakistan is not widely
practiced as in the agriculturally advanced nations. The interest around
the testing of graminicides (Walia et al., 1998; Ormeno and Diaz,
1998) indicates the problem posed by grasses, whereas the studies of
Khan et al., (2002) showed synergistic response on combined use. In
another studies researchers obtained an effective control of weeds in
wheat through chemicals (Khan et al., 2003). The instant studies were
undertaken to find out the most effective and economical herbicide (s)
for control of narrow leave weed (wild oats) in wheat crop.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The trial was laid out in randomized complete block design with
three replications. The net plot size was 12m 17 m. The test wheat
variety was Bhakkar 2002. Sowing was done on November 20, 2007.
The treatments in the experiment were: T1 = Control, T2 = Topik
(clodinafop propergyl) @ 300 gha-1, T3 = Puma Super (fenaxaprop
pethyl) @ 625 ml ha-1, T4 = Pujing (Fenaxaprop-p-ethyl) @ 625 mL ha1
and T5- fenaxaprop @ 625 mL ha-1. Recommended dose of NPK (160114-62 kg ha-1) fertilizers were applied in the form of urea, triple
super phosphate and sulphate of potash, respectively. Nitrogen
fertilizer was applied in three splits i.e. one-third nitrogen was applied
at the time of seedbed preparation and was thoroughly mixed into soil
by ploughing and planking. The second and third dose was top dressed
at the time of 1st and 3rd irrigation, respectively. Weedicides were

Pak. J. Weed Sci. Res. 16(2): 139-144, 2010

141

sprayed with Knapsack spray machine using water @ 296 L ha-1 along
with recommended dose of each weedicides after 45 days of sowing.
Canal water was used for irrigation. Sowing was done with the help of
Rabi drill in good moisture conditions. All other agronomic practices
(sowing and harvesting) were kept uniform for both the experimental
sites. The observations on the following parameters i.e. No. of weeds
after spray m-2, number of tillers m-2, plant height, number of spikelets
spike-1, number of grains spike-1 and grain yield were recorded during
the course of study. Wheat crop growing and development stages for
recording of parameters after sowing are as follows; germination m-2
15 days after sowing (DAS), Number of tillers m-2 40 DAS. Plant height
after sowing of 150 days, Number of spikelets spike-1 150 days and
yield contributing parameters after 150 days. The collected data were
analyzed statistically using Fishers analysis of variance technique and
treatment means were compared by Least Significant Difference (LSD)
test at 5% probability level (Steel et al., 1997). The data were
analyzed by the MSTAT-C statistical package on a computer (Freed
and Eisensmith, 1986).
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Number of weeds m2 after spray
Weedicides had statistically significant effect on number of
weeds after spray in wheat (Table-1). The maximum value of No. of
weeds after spraym-2 (15.00) was observed in case of control
(untreated) treatment followed by 2.60 and 2.33 in case of T5fenaxaprop @ 625 mL ha-1and T4-Pujing (fenoxaprop-p-ethyl) @ 625
mL ha-1. There were no weeds in case of T2-Topic (Clodinafop
propergyl) @ 300 g ha-1 and T3- Puma Supper (Fenoxaprop-p-ethyl) @
625 mL ha-1. The present results of chemical weed control in wheat are
in conformity with earlier findings of Hassan et al., (2003).
Plant height (cm)
Maximum plant height (93.27cm) was observed in T2-Topik
(clodinafop propergyl) @ 300 g ha-1 followed by T3-Puma super
(fenoxaprop-p-ethyl) @ 625 mL ha-1 (93.00cm) and minimum
(88.58cm) was recorded in case of control. These results are in
agreement with the plant height findings of Khan et al., 2004.
Number of tillers m-2
Productive tillers are the key component of grain yield in wheat
crop. A perusal of data (Table-1) revealed that effect of weedicides
was found significant on no. of tillers m-2. Maximum increase in
number of tillers m-2 (6.15 % more than control) was observed in case
of T3-Puma Super (fenoxaprop-p-ethyl) @ 625 mL ha-1 which was
statistically equal with treatment T2-Topik (clodinafop propargyl) @
300 g ha-1 showing 5.34 % more than control. Next to these,

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Ghulam Abbas et al., Performance of different herbicides for

treatment T5-fenaxaprop @ 625 mL ha-1 showed 2.72 % increase over

control that was statistically similar with T4-Pujing (fenoxaprop-pethyl) @ 625 mL ha-1 showing 2.56 % increase in No. of tillers m-2 over
control. Higher number of fertile tillers in herbicide treated plots was
due to healthy stand of crop and better utilization of soil nutrients.
Similar results were reported by Cheema and Akhtar (2005).
Number of spikelets spike-1
Weedicides had significant effect on spikelets spike-1. Mean
maximum number of spikelets spike-1 (14.80) were noted with T2Topik (clodinafop propargyl) @ 300 g ha-1, followed by T3-Puma
Supper (fenoxaprop-p-ethyl) @ 625 mL ha-1 (14.60) showing 12.10
and 10.60 % increase over control, respectively. It was followed in
descending order by treatments T4-Pujing (fenoxaprop-p-ethyl) @ 625
mL ha-1 and T5-fenoxaprop-p-ethyl @ 625 mL ha-1 which showed 5.53
and 5.07 % increase over control, respectively. Increased number of
spikelets spike-1 was reported by Khan et al., (2003) due to the
treatment in the herbicides.
Number of grains spike-1
Maximum number of grains spike-1 (45.20) were observed with
T2-Topik (clodinafop propargyl) @ 300 g ha-1 and it gave 35.60 %
increase in number of grains spike-1 than control. It was followed in
descending order by T3- Puma Super (fenoxaprop-p-ethyl) @ 625 mL
ha-1, T4-Pujing (fenoxaprop-p-ethyl) @ 625 mL ha-1 and T5-fenaxaprop
@ 625 mL ha-1which increased No. of grains spike-2 by 33.00, 18.60
and 16.60%, respectively, over control. These results are supported by
earlier researchers (Hashim et al., 2002) who reported that herbicidal
treatments significantly increased the grains per spike in wheat crop.
Grain yield (kg ha-1)
Grain yield is a function of interplay of various yield
components such as number of fertile tillers per unit area, number of
grains per spike and 1000-grain weight. Weedicides affected grain
yield significantly (Table-1). Treatment T2-Topik (clodinafop propargyl)
@ 300 g/ha-1 being the most effective which produced a 28.80 %
increase in grain yield compared with control. Next to it, T3-Puma
Super (fenoxaprop-p-ethyl) @ 625 mL ha-1, T5-fenaxaprop @ 625 mL
ha-1and T4-Pujing (fenoxaprop-p-ethyl) @ 625 mL ha-1 showed 26.80,
18.00 and 18.50 % more grain yield respectively, over control. These
results are corroborated by the findings of Khan et al., (2003) who
obtained an effective control of weeds in wheat through chemicals.
Similarly, Noor et al., (2007) conducted a field study to variable
behaviour of three formulations of fenoxaprop viz. Puma Super 75 EW
(1250 and 625 mL), Pujing 10 EC (1000 and 500 mL ha-1) and Brake
10 EC (1000 and 500 mL ha-1). It was observed that higher

Pak. J. Weed Sci. Res. 16(2): 139-144, 2010

143

concentration of fenoxaprop formulation proved better for Phalaris

minor and lower for Avena species in wheat crop.
CONCLUSION
The present study revealed that Topik and Puma Super gave
the maximum control of wild oats after spray and maximum grain yield
of wheat. Thus, it is recommended to use Topik (clodinafop propargyl)
and Puma Super (fenoxaprop-p-ethyl) @ 300 g and 625 mL ha-1,
respectively to get maximum grain yield of wheat under the arid
climate of Punjab, Pakistan.
Table-1. Effect of different weedicides for the control of narrow
leaves weed (wild oats) of wheat (Triticum
aestivum)(Mean values).
S.No Treatments
1
2
3
4
5

No. of
Plant
weeds after height
spray m-2
(cm)

Control
Topik (clodinafop
propargyl) @ 300 g
ha-1
Puma Super
(fenaxaprop-p-ethyl)
@ 625 mL ha-1
Pujing (fenaxapropp-ethyl) @ 625 mL
ha-1
fenaxaprop @ 625
mL ha-1

LSD 0.05

15.00 a*

No. of
No. of
Grain Yield
Spikelet grains
(kg ha-1)
spike-1 spike-1

371.17 c 13.20 c

33.33 c

3233.00 c

0.00 c

93.27 a 391.00 a 14.80 a

45.20 a

4167.00 a

0.00 c

93.00 a 394.00 a 14.60 a

44.33 a

4100.00 a

2.33 b

91.53 b 380.70 b 13.93 b

39.53 b

3833.00 b

2.66 b

90.73 b 381.30 b 13.87 b

38.87 b

3817.00 b

2.17

253.20

1.75

88.58 c

No. of
Tillers
m-2

1.12

8.21

0.32

*Means sharing a letter in common in the respective column do not significantly by LSD
test at P 0.05

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