Influences of Different Nitrogen Levels on Competition between Spring Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and Wild Mustard (Sinapis arvensis L.)

Pejman Behdarvand,Kondiram Nathuji Dhumal,Ganesh Shridhar Chinchanikar

doi:10.5539/jas.v4n12p134

Pejman Behdarvand, Kondiram Nathuji Dhumal + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.5539/jas.v4n12p134

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Abstract

A field experiment was carried out to investigate the effects of different nitrogen levels on interspecific competition between wild mustard and spring wheat. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design under a split plot arrangement, with three replications. The experiment comprised of three nitrogen levels (90, 150 and 210 kg ha-1) assigned to main plots and four wild mustard densities such as 0, 5, 10 and 15 plants m-2 kept in sub-plots. The results revealed that yield, yield components and nitrogen use efficiency of wheat were decreased with increasing wild mustard density. The density of 5, 10 and 15 wild mustard plants m-2 reduced the grain yield of wheat by 21.4, 32.2 and 40.2% respectively as compared to control. Increasing nitrogen level increased the grain yield of wheat in weed free plots, while in the presence of wild mustard, increasing nitrogen level led to increase the competitive ability of wild mustard and increased the yield losses of wheat. The density of 15 wild mustard plants m-2 had decreased the grain yield of wheat by 31.6, 34.4 and 53.3 % under 90, 150 and 210 kg N ha-1 respectively.

Highlights

In recent years, concern over the environmental effects, costs of cultivation, and long-term efficacy of conventional weed management systems have led to increasing number of farmers and researchers to seek alternative systems that are less reliant on herbicides and more reliant on ecological processes (Davis &Liebman, 2001)
The results revealed that yield, yield components and nitrogen use efficiency of wheat were decreased with increasing wild mustard density
Increasing nitrogen application was more beneficial for wild mustard which was increased the competitive ability of wild mustard and increased the loss of wheat spike number

Summary

Introduction

Concern over the environmental effects, costs of cultivation, and long-term efficacy of conventional weed management systems have led to increasing number of farmers and researchers to seek alternative systems that are less reliant on herbicides and more reliant on ecological processes (Davis &Liebman, 2001). The importance of nitrogen usage and effectiveness in wheat and other cereals productions has increased due to increase the cost of manufacturing and distributing of nitrogen fertilizer. Increasing the application of nitrogen fertilizer in agricultural fields increased the worries about groundwater pollution. This worry has forced the growers to increase nitrogen use efficiency in crop production. Increasing nitrogen use efficiency of wheat can reduce N fertilizer requirements and N leaching; an effective usage of applied nitrogen by plant will decrease the productive costs (Kanampiu et al, 1997). Populations of wild mustard if controlled throughout the growing season of the crop can reduce yield loss (Buchanan et al, 2009)

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