BIO-HERBICIDAL POTENTIALS OF WHEAT (Triticum aestivum L.) ON SOME OF ITS MAJOR WEEDS

Allelopathy has been widely recognized to be one of the environmentally friendly and economically sound weed management tools in crop husbandry. Inhibitive effects of aqueous extracts of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) leaves, stems and roots (all at 75% concentration) were tested in a laboratory bioassay against the seed germination and seedlings growth of four major weeds of T. aestivum crop (Lathyrus aphaca, Phalaris minor, Convolvulus arvensis and Avena fatua). Results showed that leaves and root extracts from T. aestivum had significant inhibitive effects upon the seed germination of all the test weed species. The most inhibitive part of T. aestivum was found to be leaf where only 20% weeds seeds germinated followed by stem extracts of T. aestivum where 50% weeds seeds germinated as compared to the control treatment (ca. 90%) weeds seed achieved germination. The root extract had showed a non-significant inhibitive effect upon the weeds seed germination. These plant parts of T. aestivum have also significantly inhibited the seedlings length of all the test weed species. Leaf and stem extracts were found to be the most inhibitive (where the weeds seedlings achieved 0.39 cm and 1.00 cm length, respectively) followed by the root extracts where the weeds seedlings achieved 2.40 cm length. The most effected weeds were L. aphaca (2.40 cm) and A. fatua (2.70 cm) seedlings length. Phalaris minor produced 3.00 cm seedlings length. The seedlings weight of the test weed species was also significantly affected by the extracts from T. aestivum plant parts. Stem and leaf extracts being the most inhibitive followed by the root extracts where the weeds achieved 0.01 g weight followed by the root extract where the weeds achieved 0.03 g seedling weight. Further study is suggested to find out the inhibitive effect of T. aestivum parts upon the other growth parameters of the test weed species.