DETERMINING ECONOMIC THRESHOLD OF DOWNY BROME (Bromus tectorum L.) IN WHEAT (Triticum aestivum L.)

  • Muhammad Ahsan
  • Muhammad Ehsan Safdar Safdar
  • Muhammad Mansoor Javaid Javaid
  • Ahsan Aziz
  • Asif Tanveer and and

Abstract

Weed economic threshold in a specific crop serves as a tool for employing cost-effective management program. The response of wheat (Triticumaestivum L.) yield to varying densities of downy brome (Bromustectorum L.) was tested during winter season of 2014-15. Increasing densities of B. tectorum (0, 5, 10, 20 and 40 plants m-2) increased B. tectorum dry weight up to 322%. Wheat plant height, tillers m-2, spike length, grains spike-1, 1000-grain weight, biological, grain and straw yields were reduced at downy brome density at and above10 plants per m2. Grain yield losses of wheat varied from3 to 19% with B. tectorum density between5 and 40 plants per m2. Maximum plant height, tillers m-2, grains spike-1 of downy brome were observed in its lowest (5 plants m-2) density. The economic threshold of B. tectorum as determined by prediction model was 2.6 plants per m2 indicating that downy brome weed in wheat should be managedat this density level.
Published
2018-03-01
Section
Articles