DISTRIBUTION AND CHECKLIST OF WEEDS IN MAIZE CROP OF FRONTIER REGION BANNU, KHYBER PATUNKHWA, PAKISTAN

Having a comprehensive knowledge of the existing weed flora of a locality in a particular crop helps decide an effective weed management strategy. Maize crop is though a good competitor, nevertheless it cannot cope with a number of competitive weeds at a time. Therefore, the present research study was aimed at studying and documenting the distribution of prominent weeds in maize crop of F.R Bannu, Pakistan in maize growing season of the year 2009. A total of 40 weed species were recorded as problematic to maize crop inflicting ruthless yield losses. These documented weeds belong as a whole to 21 different families in which Amaranthaceae was found to be the most dominant one contributing up to 19% of the weed flora of the studied crop. It was followed by Asteraceae, Zygophylliceae and Poaceae each with 14% infestation. Therefore, these four families contribute together to 61% of the weed flora of maize crop. As far as the distribution pattern of the weeds was concerned, there were five dominant weeds viz; Amaranthus viridis, Cynodon dactylon, Cyperus rotundus, Heliotropium eichwaldii and Spergula pentandra. The rest of the weeds were however occasional and did not have consistent and dominant distribution. The distribution of weed species was therefore a diverse and quite importance for the botanists and weed scientists to formulate a long term weed management strategy in the locality in light of the weed flora recorded in maize crop.