Pak. J. Weed Sci. Res. 10(3-4):133-138, 2004

Distribution Of Chenopodium album In Some Irrigated And Riverian Wheat Fields Of Lahore District

Manzoor Ahmad Malik^[1]

Abstract

This study is based on the survey conducted to assess the relative abundance and importance of Chenopodium album growing in non-saline/partially saline irrigated and non-irrigated riverian wheat fields from the viewpoint of interference with wheat growth. Quadrate method was used to determine the ecological attributes i.e. frequency, constancy and density of Chenopodium album during periodic field survey from January to April 2002 in various villages of Lahore district. Chenopodium album was found abundant in most of non-saline irrigated (74%) and non-irrigated riverian (61%) wheat fields while it was frequent in partially saline irrigated wheat fields (53%) during February 2002. In April 2002, it became frequent in non-saline irrigated (52%) and non-irrigated riverian (43%) wheat fields. It showed high degree of constancy (class V & IV) in most of the wheat fields. High density of Chenopodium album was found in wheat fields of riverian lands (96%) as compared to the non-saline (18%) and partially saline (15%) wheat fields. It was concluded that this species has wide ecological amplitude as it was occurring in a variety of agro-ecological conditions. It was dense in riverian wheat fields whereas it showed sparse distribution in partially saline irrigated areas. Its density decreased with the passage of time because of intra- as well as inter-specific competition.

Key words:  Chenopodium album Common lambsquarters distribution lahore.

Introduction

Chenopodium album L. (Common lambsquarters) is an annual, herbaceous, broadleaf weed, which grows to a height of 40 to 100 cm in cultivated fields and waste places and used as leafy vegetable. It can adapt to different environmental conditions over a wide range of pH and soil types. The climate of the survey area is classified as sub-humid subtropical continental and. the soils are transported and alluvium. Weeds are plants that interfere with the growth of desirable plants and that are unusually competitive, persistent and pernicious (Ross and Lembi, 1999) and are the major pests of crop husbandry, which need to be managed properly for realizing higher yield (Hassan and Marwat, 2001). The losses occur due to competition for nutrients, water, solar radiation, space and other growing factors adversely affecting the quantity and quality of the product.

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is the leading winter cereal crop of Pakistan occupying the largest area under any single crop. It is staple food of masses and enjoys the pivotal position in the Pakistan agricultural system. Punjab is the main agricultural province of Pakistan with a total agricultural area of 17.31 x 10⁶ hectares, which is about 69% of total cropped area of Pakistan. It contributes a major share of the agricultural economy of the country, providing around 72% of wheat to the national food basket every year, beside other cereals (Wahid, 1998).

Since C. album is widespread weed of wheat (Saeed et al., 1987, Shamsi and Ahmad, 1984, 1988, Naeem and Shad, 1987, 1994 and Hussain et al., 1991; 1993) and wheat is the major crop of the area, this study was taken to make a quantitative assessment of this weed in wheat crop. No work has been carried out on the distribution of C. album in irrigated (non-saline/partially saline) and non-irrigated riverian wheat fields in Lahore district. The present study might help to provide a base for the future extensive work on the ecology for managing C. album. It is therefore, considered worthwhile to carry out the present investigation.

Mungbean (Vigna radiata L. Wilczek.) is emerging to be an important crop, as it is one of the best substitutes to meet the food needs of the large population of the developing countries. In spite of short duration, nutritional superiority and nitrogen fixing character, it is a rainy season crop facing the weeds as main competitor. Weeds are most serious pests reducing the growth and yield of crop. Modern agricultural practices contribute mostly on protection of the crop against competition from weeds. Weeds reduce yield by competing with crop plants for space, light, nutrients and carbon dioxide. There are different views about the intensity of weed losses but it is established fact that weeds cause great losses to crops, depending upon the degree of weed infestation, duration of weed competition, and soil and climatic conditions.

There is no specific way to control weeds of all types because of different kinds of social, economical and environmental factors influence the choice of control method to be used. Quarshi et al (2002) reported that weed could be controlled by manual, cultural and chemical methods. Although weed management practices like hand weeding and herbicide application are effective in weed control but are uneconomical due to higher costs (Cheema et al 2003). Moreover the chemical weed control method is hazardous for health and causes environmental pollution.

Use of sorgaab (sorghum water extract) for weed suppression and increase in crop yield has been reported in field studies by Cheema and Khaliq (2000). Ali et al (2004) reported that allelopathic plants containing allelochemicals in low quantity act as hormones and in high amount act as herbicides. Therefore, Allelopathy has emerged as an important area of weed control research and has been accepted very recently as important ecological phenomena.

The evidence of Allelopathic compounds in sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) and their subsequent effects on other plants inspired the idea of conducting field study to explore the feasibility of using Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) and Acacia (Acacia nilotica) water extracts also as natural herbicides to control weeds in mungbean crop and to study their effects on growth and yield of mungbean in comparison with hand weeding and herbicides.

Materials and Methods

            The study area covers various villages in Lahore district of Punjab province, Pakistan except the Indian border in the east. Studies were carried out on irrigated (non-saline, partially saline) and non-irrigated riverian wheat fields to find out differences, if any, in the distribution of C. album. Field survey was conducted to assess the relative abundance and importance of the weed from viewpoint of interference with wheat growth. Ecological characteristics i.e. frequency, constancy and density of C. album was investigated during periodic field surveys.

Frequency and Constancy

Sixty wheat fields (50x50m² each) were selected in non-saline/partially saline irrigated and non-irrigated riverian areas. The frequency and constancy was studied twice during February and April 2002. Frequency of weed was determined by quadrat method (Oosting, 1956). Quadrat (1 m²) was thrown 25 times at random in each of the wheat field and presence of weed in each quadrat was recorded. Relative percent frequency (frequency index) of C. album in a field was calculated from the data to assign species to different frequency classes. This frequency index of C. album in different fields was used to prepare Synthesis or Association Tables (Hanson and Churchil, 1961) to determine average frequency and constancy of this weed and was classified into various classes of frequency following Raunkiaer (1934). Braun-Blanquet (1932) recognized five constancy classes as reported by Hanson and Churchill (1961) and Whittaker (1978).

Density

Studies on the density of C. album in above wheat fields was carried out. Fifteen wheat fields of the study area were selected for this purpose. In January 2002, four permanent quadrats (1 m² each) were laid out at random in each of the selected fields. The selected areas were protected from possible animal or human disturbance. The number of weed and wheat plants in each quadrat were counted in January, February, March and April, 2002, respectively to record data on changes in weed and wheat density per unit area over time.

Results And Discussion

Studies on the frequency, constancy and density of C. album are crucial and highly desirable to understand their mode of occurrence and persistence in nature, limits of their distribution and timing of infestation of the crops. Survey on density per unit area of these weeds will provide guide-lines in setting up of laboratory and field experiments.

Frequency and Constancy

Data on frequency and constancy of C. album in non-saline/ partially saline irrigated and non-irrigated riverian wheat fields of Lahore districts during February and April 2002 is given in Table-1. C. album was the most common species at the time of observation I and II. It was abundant (74%, 61%) in most of the non-saline  and riverian wheat fields while it was frequent (53%) in partially saline wheat fields at the time of observation I  in February 2002. In observation II it became frequent (52%, 43%) in non-saline irrigated and riverian wheat fields while it was occurring as an occasional (27%) weed in partially saline wheat fields during April 2002. It showed high degree of constancy (with constancy class IV & V) in most of the fields during both the observations and was widespread in all the fields.

A comparative study of these wheat fields indicate that C. album is the major and predominant weed species with a very high degree of constancy. These results are supported by the work of Shinwari et al. (1990); Hussain et al. (1991) and Boz et al. (2000) who recorded 50-80% frequency of C. album in their studies. Girma et al. (2000) noticed that it was frequently occurring broadleaf weed in wheat fields of Ethiopia and was abundant in Poland (Holdynski et al. 1986) and Turkey (Kaya and Zengin 2000). The findings of Berezkin and Skorolupova (1987) and Andreasen et al. (1996) also validate our observations.

Table-1.     Percentage frequency and constancy of Chenopodium album in wheat fields

I = First Observation (February, 2002);  II = Second Observation (April, 2002);  

A = Abundant; F = Frequent O = Occasional (Each figure is a mean of twenty replicates)

Density

Density of C. album during January, February, March and April 2002 in non-saline/ partially saline irrigated and non-irrigated riverian wheat fields is given in Table-2. C. album showed very high population density in the earliest stages of growth during January 2002 and declined over time. Its density is highest in riverian fields (96%). It showed a decline (21%) at the time of last observation. In non-saline irrigated wheat fields it showed drastic reduction in its density i.e. from 18% to only 4%. Partially saline wheat fields showed less density in all the observation as compared to the non-saline and riverian wheat fields. Total number of weed and wheat plants m^-2 in different fields were highly variable and that there was a reduction in weed density with the passage of time. Consequently weed: wheat ratio in all the fields in April was lower as compared to their corresponding values in January.

It is inferred from the above results that C. album showed a reduction in its relative density from January to April. There was a marked reduction in the total weed density per unit area in all fields in April as compared to their corresponding densities in January. There was also a slight reduction in wheat density per unit area in some of the fields. Present findings are supported by the work of Shamsi and Bashir. (1988) who concluded that weed: wheat ratio values in different wheat fields in April markedly lower than their corresponding February values. On the basis of relative density C. album was the predominant weed in wheat fields (Jain et al. 1996). These findings are in agreement with the work of Raatikainen, 1983; Thomas, 1991; Frick and Thomas, 1992 and Hassainein et al,. 1998. Thomas and Wise (1988) reported equal abundance of C. album in wheat fields of Canada. Similar findings were also communicated by Hussain et al. 1991, who observed that it was the most densely populated weed of wheat in the studies area.

Table-2.           Density of C. album in wheat fields from January to April, 2002

I = First observation (January, 2002)        II  = Second observation (February, 2002)

III = Third observation (March, 2002)         IV = Fourth observation (April, 2002).

Figures in parentheses give relative density i.e., C. album expressed as % of total weeds (Each figure is a mean of twenty replicates).

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