Evaluation of Some Herbicides for Weed Control in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in Northern Sudan

Abstract

A field trial was conducted at Hudeiba Research Station Farm,
River Nile State, Sudan, during 2001/2002, 2002/2003 and 2003/2004
winter seasons. The objective was to evaluate the activity and selectivity
of three pre-emergence herbicides for weed control in wheat. The
herbicides treatments were pendimethalin (Stomp) at 1.2, 1.8 and 2.4 kg
a.i. ha-1
, oxyfluorfen (Goal) at 0.24, 0.36 and 0.48 kg a.i ha -1 and
oxadiazon (Ronstar) at 0.72, 1.08 and 1.44 kg a.i ha -1 . The prevailing
weed species in the experimental sites were Ipomoea sp, wild mustard
(Sinapis arvensis L.), common beet (Beta vulgaris L.), sweet signal grass
[Brachiaria eruciformis (Sm)] and Bermuda grass [Cynodon dactylon (L.)
Pers.]. The results showed that the losses in grain yield of wheat, due to
weeds competition, were 37%, 29% and 21% for seasons 2001/2002,
2002/2003 and 2003/2004, respectively. The herbicide pendimethalin, at
all rates tested, showed no phytotoxicity symptoms on wheat. The higher
rates of oxadiazon and oxyfluorfen, however, showed slight phytotoxicity
to the wheat crop. All herbicide treatments of Ronstar and Goal resulted
in good to excellent control (72%–97%) of both grassy and broad-leaved
weeds. The herbicide pendimethalin displayed excellent activity against
grasses and poor to satisfactory activity (0%-67%) against broad-leaved
weeds. The weed Cynodon dactylon tolerated all herbicide treatments.
With the exception of Stomp, all herbicide treatments significantly
increased wheat grain yield compared to the weedy check.