Weeds Dynamics as Influenced by Seeding Rates and Row Spacing in Winter Wheat

Abstract

Weeds are among the major yield-limiting factors for the wheat crop, which is a prominent cereal crop that provides a good source of carbohydrates and proteins for humans. However, under field conditions, wheat yield is severely affected by weed infestation. The present study was conducted to reduce weed infestation by optimizing the seeding rates and row spacing in winter wheat. A field study was conducted in 2019-20 where three-row spacing: 22.5 cm (RS1), 17.5 cm (RS2), and 11.5 cm (RS3), and three seeding rates: 125 kg ha^-1 (SR1), 150 kg ha-1 (SR2) and 175 kg ha-1 (SR3) were tested. Our results showed that the highest weed density and biomass production were recorded under SR1 and RS1 treatments. However, SR3 and RS3 depicted minimum weed density and dry weights in this experiment. Similarly, the plots with greater row spacing produced more grain yield as compared to narrowly spaced rows maximum grain yield (4.68 t ha^-1) was depicted for RS1 and SR2. In conclusion, RS1 and SR1 treatments were more effective in reducing the weeds’ densities and increasing crop productivity.