Assessment of various herbicides for weed management and their impact on wheat yield components in rice-wheat cropping system in Punjab, Pakistan

Evaluating the efficacy and safety of herbicides is essential for sustainable weed management. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of selected herbicides in controlling weed populations, their impact on wheat growth parameters, and their overall influence on wheat yield components in a rice-wheat cropping system in Punjab, Pakistan. Four herbicides viz. Atlantis Super, Wheat Star, Focal, and Safner were tested alongside an untreated control, using a randomized complete block design across three locations in Punjab. Key parameters evaluated included weed density, biomass, plant height, tillers per plant, 1000-grain weight, and grain yield. Atlantis Super demonstrated the highest weed control efficiency of 79.6%, followed by Wheat Star (76.4%) and Focal (72.7%). These treatments significantly improved crop yield components, with Atlantis Super achieving the highest grain yield of 5.8 t/ha. The study highlights the importance of selecting appropriate herbicides for optimal weed suppression and crop productivity. It also recommends integrated weed management strategies to address herbicide resistance and minimize environmental impacts.