Chemical Weed Management in Wheat- A review

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the major cereal food crops of the world and has very important role in attaining food security. Introduction of dwarf wheat varieties coupled with intensive input (assured irrigation and fertilizers) use after Green Revolution led to complex problem of both grassy and broad leaved weeds. Weed management is very important for achieving higher wheat production. Mechanical, cultural, biological and chemical methods can be adopted for weed management in wheat. Due to industrialization, labour is becoming scarce and costly. Among these methods, chemical weed control is more efficient, less costly and less time consuming. Pre-emergence herbicides cannot control the late flushes of weeds especially, grassy weeds. Post emergence herbicides are very effective against weeds in wheat. However, herbicides are effective against some weed groups due to mode of action and they do not kill other weeds. To control other weeds, another herbicide is needed which involves more cost, time and labour. To overcome this, sequential application of herbicides, herbicidal mixtures and herbicidal combinations are used. The herbicidal combinations could be very effective against both grassy as well as broad leaved weeds and help to reduce cost, time and labour. Application herbicidal combinations viz. clodinafop + metsulfuron (vesta) 60 g ha-1, sulfosulfuron + metsulfuron (total) 32 g ha-1 and mesosulfuron + iodosulfuron (atlantis) 14.4 g ha-1 as well as tank mixture of pinoxaden + carfentrazone (50 + 20 g ha-1) is the best way for managing complex weed flora in wheat as of now. Modification in application method like tank mixture with micronutrients also have potential of increasing the weed control efficiency of herbicides and yield of wheat. To give precise and concise information weed management in wheat, his article reviews the latest herbicides recommended for weed management in wheat. Recent advances in herbicidal mixture, combinations and application techniques are also being included in this review.