RESPONSE OF WHEAT CROP (TRITICUM AESTIVUM L.) AND ITS WEEDS TO ALLELOPATHIC CROP WATER EXTRACTS IN COMBINATION WITH REDUCED HERBICIDE RATES

A field trial to investigate the response of wheat (triticum aestivum l.) crop and its weeds to various crop water extracts (sorghum, brassica and sunflower ) in combination with reduced rates of herbicide (bromoxynil + mcpa 20 + 20 ec) was carried out at research area, college of agriculture, dera ghazi khan. the treatment combinations were the mixture of all three crop water extracts each @ 15 and 18 l ha^-1 combined with 1/2 and 1/3rd dose of bromoxynil + mcpa. individual herbicide (bromoxynil + mcpa) treatments i.e. 1/2, 1/3, full dose and a weedy check were included for comparison. experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design (rcbd) with 4 replications. an approved wheat cultivar, as- 2002, was used as experimental material. the data recorded at 70 das (days after sowing) showed that water extracts @ 18 l ha^-1 combined with bromoxynil + mcpa 50 g a.i ha^-1 inhibited total weeds density by 88%, total weeds fresh weight by 90% and total weeds dry biomass by 95% and increased grain yield by 35% over control. highest marginal rate of return was observed in combination of crop water extracts each @18 la^-1 tank mixed with 50 g a.i ha^-1 bromoxynil + mcpa with net benefit of rs. 87117. it can be concluded that by the use of allelopathic crop water extracts herbicides use can be reduced up to 50%.