Weed Control Interventions and the Productivity of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Abstract

A field research was piloted during the Rabi season of 2017–18 at the Agronomy Section, Agriculture Research Institute (ARI), Tarnab, to evaluate the consequence of diverse weed management practices on the wheat vegetative and reproductive performance. The study was laid out in a triplicated RCB design with a plot size of 15 m². Treatments included weedy check (Standard), hand weeding once (30 DAS), herbicide application (Topik 15 WP at 300 g ha⁻¹ at 30 DAS), and barley water extract at concentrations of 1:5 and 1:10 applied singly (30 DAS) or twice (30 + 60 DAS). Results revealed substantial disparity among treatments for all recorded vegetative and reproductive traits. Herbicide application and double spray of barley extract (1:5 and 1:10) exhibited the highest values for yield-related parameters, with grain yield improvement exceeding 40% compared with the weedy check. Single spray of barley extract and hand weeding also showed significant improvements but were comparatively less effective. The findings suggest that barley extract can serve as a promising allelopathic alternative to chemical herbicides, contributing to eco-friendly and sustainable weed management. Integration of barley water extract with conventional practices may reduce herbicide dependence while maintaining crop productivity, thereby supporting resource-efficient and environmentally sound wheat production systems.