Impact of Weed and Seeding Rates on Crop Growth Rate of Five Barley Cultivars

Abstract

A randomized complete block design with split-split plot arrangement was used to evaluate the effects of weeds and seeding rates on barley cultivar growth rate and yield in the College of Engineering Agricultural Sciences - University of Baghdad - Jadriyah fields in winter 2021–2022. The main plots had two treatments, weedy and weed-free, and the subplots had 120, 140, and There were significant differences in dry matter weight, crop growth rate, and yield between cultivars. The cultivar Amal had the highest grain yield per unit area (6.98 tons ha-1), dry matter weight at full flowering and physiological maturity (46.80 and 57.60 g), and crop growth rate from planting to 60 days (8.20 g m-2 day-1). Samir also had the highest dry matter weight after 60 and 90 days (37.60 and 61.68 g) and crop growth rate from 90 days to full flowering (7.96 g m-2 day-1). The cultivar IPA 256 had the highest crop growth rate from 60 to 90 days, full flowering to physiological maturity, and planting to physiological maturity (8.61, 34.14, 6.23, and 7.96 g m-2 day-1). The seeding rate of 160 kg ha-1 outperformed the other rates in dry matter weight after 60 and 90 days, at full flowering and physiological maturity (40.04, 62.50, 66.89, and 148.51 g, respectively), crop growth rate from planting to 60 days, 90 days, full flowering, physiological maturity, The weed-free treatment outperformed the other treatments in dry matter weight and crop growth rate from full flowering to physiological maturity and from planting to physiological maturity in all barley growth and yield traits. Since the crop growth rate was highest between planting and full flowering, we can infer that the weedy treatments prioritized vegetative growth over reproductive growth. In the weed-free treatment, however, the trend was toward more robust reproduction. In addition, the biological yield (total dry matter weight) increased as seeding rates were raised, and this translated into a higher grain yield. According to a study that compared crop growth rates from planting to 60 days after planting, Amal was the most effective cultivar at outcompeting weeds in the early stages of crop development, leading to the highest yield.