Broadleaf weeds, Phalaris minor, planting techniques, weed control, wheat
An experiment was conducted at experimental farm of Department of Agronomy, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana (India) during rabi seasons of 2004-05 and 2005-06 in a split plot design comprising five planting techniques in main plots (conventional tillage, zero till sowing without stubbles, zero till sowing in standing stubbles, zero till sowing after partial burning and bed planting) and five weed control treatments in sub-plots (clodinafop 60 g/ha, clodinafop 60 g/hafb 2, 4-D 0.5 kg/ha, sulfosulfuron 25 g/ha, mesosulfuron+iodosulfuron 12 g/ha and unweeded control). Reduced dry matter of Phalaris minor Retz. and broadleaf weeds and higher wheat grain yield were recorded with zero till sowing in standing stubbles followed by zero till sowing after partial burning and bed planting. Clodinafop 60 g/ha alone controlled P. minor but did not control broadleaf weeds. Significantly reduced population of P. minor as well as broadleaf weeds and increased grain yield of wheat were observed with postemergence application of clodinafop 60 g/ha fb 2, 4-D 0.5 kg/ha, sulfosulfuron 25 g/ha and mesosulfuron+iodosulfuron 12 g/ha than clodinafop 60 g/ha alone and control. Among the planting techniques, zero till sowing in standing stubbles and among the weeds control practices sulfosulfuron 25 g/ha recorded highest wheat yield