| Abstract |
Allelopathic crop water extracts of sorghum, sunflower and brassica may affect the growth and yield of maize and its associated weeds. Soil fertility status can influence the behavior of allelochemicals. To investigate these aspects present studies was carried out at the Agronomic Research Area, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad during autumn 2009. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with four replications. A mixture of three water extracts i.e. sorghum, sunflower and brassica each at 15 L ha-1 were applied as foliar sprays, once (7 Days after sowing), twice (7 and 30 DAS) and thrice (7, 30 and 52 DAS) in plots with no fertilizer and plots receiving NPK fertilizer at 175+100+60 kg ha-1. And a control receiving no fertilizer plus no allelopathic spray was maintained. Three sprays of water extracts in fertilized plots suppressed the weeds population and dry weight by 85% and 55% respectively. The suppression effect of three sprays of water extracts in fertilized plots on the fresh and dry mass of horse purslane was significantly more by 75% and 54% respectively over control. Grain yield was significantly higher (82%) in two sprays of water extracts with fertilizer. However, it was uneconomical due to high costs that vary and hence two sprays of water extracts became economical with 49% increase in maize grain yield and also had highest MRR (3514%) as compared to control.
|
|---|