Weed Management Practices in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.): A Review

Abstract

Wheat is India’s second-largest staple food crop grown in different agro climatic zones within different crop sequences, as a result of which a diversity of weeds infests to this crop. Diversity of weeds including grassy, broadleaf weeds and sedges are mainly infested to the crop. Phalaris minor (grassy) and Rumex dentatus (broadleaf) are the most dominant weeds in northern region of country. For receiving fast results, use of herbicides is most popular method of weed control and used all over the world. But over reliance on herbicides has created several complications such as environmental quality deterioration, shifting in weed flora and development of herbicide resistant weeds. These problems can be abridged to a great extent by decreasing reliance on chemical method which can be done by integration of various cultural and mechanical methods to the weed management program. Various cultural practices such as nutrient management, seeding rate, spacing, cropping sequence, water management, sowing methods, sowing time and competitive varieties should be followed in such a way that crop plants utilize much more resources in comparison to weed plants. As a mechanical measure, Furrow Irrigated Raised Bed (FIRB) method and stale seed bed technique are recommended for effective weed management. Timely application of herbicides with recommended doses with the help of efficient spray technology improves the efficacy of herbicides. So with the help of Integrated Weed Management (IWM) i.e integration of various cultural, mechanical and chemical methods, we can efficiently managed the diverse weed flora in wheat crop.