WEED MANAGEMENT IN WHEAT-OILSEEDS INTER/RELAY CROPPING SYSTEM AND PLANTING PATTERNS

A field experiment was conducted to assess the weed management in wheat-oilseed intercropping system and planting patterns at the Research Farm, Faculty of Agriculture, Gomal University, Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan during Fall 2009 and was repeated in 2010. Randomized complete block design, with three replications, having sixteen treatments was used. Wheat variety “Sahar-06” was planted at seeding rate of 125 kg ha^-1. Statistical analysis of the data revealed that highly significant (P≤0.01) differences were found for biological yield, grain yield and weed density, weeds fresh and dry biomass. Among the planting geometries, single row sole wheat produced maximum biological yield (13.24 and 13.87 t ha^-1) and grain yield of 5.24 and 5.43 t ha^-1 in both the cropping seasons, respectively. The highest reduction in weed density was recorded in treatment having 4 row strip wheat + 2 rows canola in both the years. Similarly dry weed biomass was also highly significantly (P≤0.01) reduced by 4 rows strip wheat + 2 rows canola. The instant results suggest that intercropping in wheat could be used as a viable weed management practice specially in the southern zone of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.