Ecological prevalence of the weed species growing in maize and sugarcane fields of district Mardan Pakistan

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Research Paper 01/11/2015
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Ecological prevalence of the weed species growing in maize and sugarcane fields of district Mardan Pakistan

Sahib Gul Afridi, Shumaila Sultan, Zahid Ali Butt, Habib Ahmad
J. Bio. Env. Sci.7( 5), 1-7, November 2015.
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Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the weed flora of maize and sugarcane fields of Tehsil Takht Bhai District Mardan Pakistan during June to December 2012. The floristic composition, life form, frequency and density of weeds of maize and sugarcane crops were determined using quadrate method. The results showed that sugarcane fields comprised 23 weed species distributed among 14 families.The frequently occurring weeds were Cynodon dactylon(85.00%), Brachiaria eruciformis(80.52%) and Cyperusrotundus(75.9%). Brachiaria eruciformis wasrecorded to be the most densely populated weed of surveyed sugarcane fields having density value of 35.67.Among the 23 recorded weed species 17 were therophytes, 2 species were hemicryptophytes, 3 species were geophytes and 2 species were chamaephytes.Whereas in the maize fields there were 25 weed species distributed among 11 families.The frequently occurring weeds species were Sorghum halepense(83.66%), Cynodon dactylon(69.12%) and Digera muricata(65.11%). Sorghum halepense was recorded to be the most denselypopulated weed species of surveyed maize fields with the density value of 28.20. Among the 25 recorded weed species 21 were therophytes, 3 species were geophytes and one species was each hemi cryptophytes and chamaephytes. During this study the soil samples from respective sites were also collected and analyzed for pH, Electrical conductivity and percentage moisture which were found in the optimum range suitable for sugarcane and maize production. The present finding will help in future strategies of weed management of sugarcane and maize crops improvement. A more comprehensive study is suggested in future for investigation of weed flora in Mardan and surrounding districts of KPK.

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