WEEDS DENSITY AND LATE SOWN MAIZE PRODUCTIVITY INFLUENCED BY COMPOST APPLICATION AND SEED RATES UNDER TEMPERATE ENVIRONMENT

Weeds reduces huge amount of yield of the economic crop ranging from 30 to 70 % of the total production. In upland environment weeds are usually found abundant in field as compared in low land environment due to the dissemination of weeds by animals, winds and due to spring water. Spring water brings weeds seeds to field by passing of water through grassy and Soddy channels in brushy congested herbaceous hilly area and some time by grazing of animals. Weeds spread in to farmer fields in this way. Therefore current field experiment was conducted to evaluate the influence of seed rate and compost on weeds density and late sown of maize productivity. At high elevations in Swat-Pakistan optimum time for maize sowing started from May 15th and continued till to June 15th whereas the experimental plots were sown on July 15th 2013. Experiment was comprised on four compost levels (5, 10, 15 and 20 Mg ha^-1) and four seed rate (10, 20, 30 and 40 kg ha^-1) with a test cultivar (cv. Baber). Subplot size was kept 3 m in length and 4.5 m in width (13.5 m^2). Weeds density significantly influenced all the agronomic traits of the maize plant. Seed rate and compost application significantly affected weeds population per unit area. Minimum weeds per unit area in all growth stages were observed with the application highest seed rate. It was observed from the results that seed rate @ 40 kg ha^-1 and compost application at the rate of 5 Mg ha^-1 reduced weeds population in all the investigated intervals (25, 50 and 75 DAS). Application of compost @ 20 Mg ha^-1 produced optimum cob length (19 cm), plant height (179.19 cm), thousand grain weight (192.83 g) and grain yield (2712 kg ha^-1). While the optimum grain cob^-1 were noted in seed sown at the rate of 30 kg ha^-1 with the application of compost at the rate of 20 Mg ha^-1 (375 grain cob^-1). On the basis of the above results it was concluded that to reduced weeds population per unit area and to enhanced productivity of maize crop seeds should be sown at the rate of 40 kg ha^-1with the application of Compost at the rate of 20 Mg ha^-1 for late sowing under the agro ecological condition of Swat valley.