ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF WEED FLORA IN THE WHEAT CROP OF MASTUJ VALLEY, DISTRICT CHITRAL, KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA, PAKISTAN

Weed survey in the wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) crop of Mastuj valley was conducted during July and August, 2013. A total of 52 plant species belonging to 46 genera and 23 families were reported first time from the investigated area. The dominant families were Asteraceae, Papilionaceae and Poaceae each with 10, 7 and 5 species, respectively. Life-form spectra showed that therophytes were the leading life-form class with 42 species followed by geophytes and hemicryptophytes each with 5 species. Leaf-size classes indicated that there were 19 mesophyllous, 12 microphyllous, 10 macrophyllous, six nanophyllous, three megaphyllous, one leptophyllous and one aphyllous species. Phenological classification indicated that 46 plant species were in reproductive stage, five in post-reproductive stage, and one species was in pre-reproductive stage. These findings might be helpful to weed ecologists, agronomists and other agricultural scientists involved in weed management.