Evaluation of post-emergence herbicides against major weed species in wheat in Bale highlands, South-eastern Ethiopia

Abstract

A field experiment on weed control in wheat was conducted at Sinana agricultural research center and Robe area during the main bona season of 2016. Different post-emergence herbicides were evaluated together with the hand weeding and weedy check for weed control and yield and yield components of wheat. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design with three replications. Improved bread wheat variety ‘‘Mada walabu’’ with a seed rate of 150kgha^-1 and different recommended agronomic practices was used in the experiment. The treatments consist of three post-emergence herbicides: Atlantis OD 37.5, Pallas 45 OD, and Topic plus and two times hand weeding and weedy check were used for comparison. The analysis result of the two locations showed that the yield and yield components of wheat were significantly responded to the applied treatments, except plant height, Biomass and HLW at Sinana on-station and plant height and spike length at Robe area. Maximum wheat grain yield was recorded (4622kgha^-1) at Sinana on-station and (4645kgha-1) at Robe area in plots treated with Atlantis OD 37.5. The second maximum grain yield was recorded at both locations Sinana on-station and Robe area, 4311kgha^-1 and 4289kgha^-1 respectively, in plots treated with Pallas 45 OD. The third maximum grain yield at both locations was recorded in plots weeded twice. The lowest grain yield was recorded in weedy check plots at both locations Sinana on-station and Robe area, 2867kgha^-1 and 2911kgha^-1 respectively. The highest weed control efficacy at both locations for both grass and broad leaved weeds was recorded for Atlantis OD 37.5 followed by Pallas 45 OD. From one year result possible to conclude that if economically affordable and available Atlantis OD 37.5 is the best weed management option in wheat in Bale highlands.