Effect of different herbicides on weed growth and yield performance of wheat

A field experiment was conducted at Chatha, Jammu during winter season of 2004–05 and 2005–06 to study the effect of different herbicides and its mixtures on weeds and yield of wheat (Triticum aestivum). Unchecked weeds growth caused 40.3% reduction in grain yield of wheat. Application of sulfosulfuron (25 g) + 2,4-D (500 g/ha) reduced weed population and biomass significantly and thereby caused increase in crop growth and grain yield of wheat. This was at par with tank-mix application of clodinafop (60 g) + metsulfuron-methyl (2 g/ha), isoproturon (750 g) + 2,4-D (500 g/ha) and fenoxaprop (120 g) + metribuzin (100 g/ha). Maximum grain yield was recorded in weed-free (5.05 t/ha), but the highest B:C ratio was observed with isoproturon+2,4-D (1.79). There was a significant positive correlation between N uptake by crop and grain yield of wheat (0.99), but a negative correlation was observed between grain yield and density and N removal by weeds.