ASSESSING BIODIVERSITY AND ECOLOGICAL ATTRIBUTES OF WHEAT CROP WEEDS IN KOHAT PAKISTAN

  • Unab Begum

Abstract

Wheat must be produced in a sustainable amount so that to keep pace with global food demand driven by growing population and income increase. The present study is based on the results of an experiment conducted on Wheat at Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan in order to assess the floristic and biological spectrum of various weeds in wheat crop during 2014-15. A total of 60 weed species belonging to 23 families were reported first time from the research area. Results regarding number of species revealed Poaceae with greatest number of species (11), followed by Asteraceae (10). Amaranthaceae and Brassicaceae were represented by equall number of species which were 05. Chenopodiaceae (04) while Euphorbiaceae, and Pappilionaceae were reported 03 species, followed by Convulvolaceae, Caryophyllaceae, and Apiaceae were found with 02 species each. Rest of the families like Alliaceae, Caesalpiniaceae, Canabaceae, Cyperaceae, Fumariaceae, Gentianaceae, Illecebraceae, Papaveraceae, Polygonaceae, Primulaceae, Rosaceae, Rubiaceae and Tilliaceae were represented by 01 species each. Results regarding percentage distribution of life form spectrum of various weeds with dominant life form was Therophytes (46 species and 76.66%), followed by Chemaephytes (06 species and 10%) and Hemicrptophytes (04 species and 6.66%) while the least species were found in Geophytes (04 species and 6.66%). Results relating to percentage distribution of leaf size spectrum revealed the Microphyll class as a dominat with 26 species (43.33%), followed by Nanophyll (14 species and 23.33%), Leptophyll (14 species and 23.33%), Mesophyll (05 species and 8.33%) and the least were found in Aphyllous (01 specie and 1.66%).
Published
2018-03-01
Section
Articles