The Impact of Different Crop Rotations by Weed Management Strategies’ Interactions on Weed Infestation and Productivity of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Muhammad Shahzad,Ali Tan Kee Zuan,Ahmed M. El-Shehawi,Shahid Farooq,Maria Barboricova,Khawar Jabran,Bandar S. Aljuaid,Muhammad Farooq,Kristína Gašparovič,Mubshar Hussain

doi:10.3390/agronomy11102088

Abstract

Weed infestations significantly reduce the growth and yield of field crops. Herbicides are mostly used for weed management due to their quick results. However, resistant biotypes to available herbicides are rapidly increasing around the word. This situation calls for the development of alternative weed management strategies. Crop rotation and allelopathic water extracts are regarded as the most important alternative weed management strategies. Therefore, this two-year study assessed the impact of different annual crop rotations by weed management strategies’ interactions on weed infestation and productivity of wheat crop. Wheat was planted in five rotations, i.e., (i) fallow-wheat, (ii) rice-wheat, (iii) cotton-wheat, (iv) mungbean-wheat and (v) sorghum-wheat. The weed management strategies included in the study were; (i) false seedbed, (ii) application of 12 L ha−1 allelopathic plant water extracts (1:1:1:1 ratio of sorghum, sunflower, mulberry and eucalyptus), (iii) herbicide application, (iv) weed-free (weed control) and (v) weedy-check (no weed control). Herbicide application was the most effective treatment in lowering weed densities and biomass during both years followed by false seedbed, while allelopathic crop water extracts were least effective. The lowest weed infestation was noted in sorghum-wheat rotation followed by cotton-wheat and mungbean-wheat, while fallow-wheat had the highest weed infestation. Weedy-check treatment caused significant reduction in wheat growth and yield, whereas the highest grain yield was recorded from weed-free and herbicide application treatments. Grain yield of wheat planted after sorghum was suppressed; however, yield improved when wheat was planted after mungbean. Planting wheat after mungbean in a weed-free environment, achieved through chemical and/or mechanical means, is the best strategy to obtain higher wheat yields.

Highlights

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is annually grown on 220.4 million hectares, which produce 734 million tons of grains globally [1]
The current study indicated that sorghum-wheat rotation, it lowered weed infestation to some extent compared to weedy-check treatment, exerted negative impacts on yield-related parameters of wheat crop
The current study indicated that while the sorghum-wheat rotation reduced weed infestation to some extent compared to weedy-check treatment, it exerted negative impacts on growth and yield related parameters of the wheat crop

Summary

Introduction

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is annually grown on 220.4 million hectares (ha), which produce 734 million tons of grains globally [1]. Increasing global population will require more wheat production from the same area under cultivation since agricultural areas are shrinking at an enormous pace [2]. Wheat production is stagnant due to the use of old cultivars [3], weed infestation [4], abiotic stresses [5,6] and several other reasons in various parts of the world. Rice-wheat and cotton-wheat are the popular annual crop rotations spanning on 60% of the total area under wheat cultivation around the globe [7]. Weeds are among the chief reasons reducing the crop productivity in these cropping systems [4,8]. Wheat is the main agricultural crop of Pakistan and is rotated with different crops, cotton and rice [9].

Methods

Discussion

Conclusion