Proper sowing orientation and spacing are important factors for best crop growth. A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of different planting patterns with and without lentil intercropping on sugarcane growth and yield and farm economics. Each of these treatments were planted as sole crop and intercropped with lentil. Data were collected on plant cane and first ratoon crop. The maximum stripped cane yields (154.36 t/ha and 130.28 t/ha in plant and ratoon crop, respectively) were obtained from sugarcane planted at 120 cm trench planting both as sole as well as lentil intercropped. This treatment also attained 61% and 43% higher total sugar yields compared to traditional 60 cm single rows planting in plant and ratoon crops, respectively. Lentil intercropping did not have any significant effect on sugarcane yield, but trench planting at 120 cm with lentil intercropping had the highest lentil seed yield (598.0 in 2013–2014 and 629.8 kg ha⁻¹ in 2014–2015) along with maximum land equivalent ratio (1.40 and 1.37), net return (Rs.321254/ha), net field benefit (Rs.491703/ha) and benefit cost ratio (2.01). Sugarcane at 120 cm trench planting with lentil intercropping also outperformed other planting patterns in improving economic returns.

The carry-over effect of sub-lethal herbicides was investigated on the germination of seeds collected from surviving Chenopodium album plants, which had received 1/8, 1/8 twice, 1/8 three times, 1/4, 1/2, 1/1 doses of either pre-emergence ioxynil or post-emergence bentazone in a previous onion (Allium cepa) crop. Seeds were also collected from surviving C. album plants, which had received 1/4, 1/2, 1/1 of either pre-emergence pendimethalin, propachlor and linuron, or 1/8, 1/8 twice, 1/8 three times, 1/4, 1/2, 1/1 of post-emergence ioxynil or linuron in a previous leek (Allium porrum) crop. Seeds of surviving plants were collected and tested for germination at temperature of 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25°C. The effect of different temperatures on the total number of germinated seeds was significant. Germination was minimum at low temperatures (5°C or 10°C). Herbicides did not show any effect on germination of C. album and resulted in the same final germination percentage as seeds collected from the unsprayed control plots.

Background: Waste-land weeds present around the fields exert their allelopathic influence on crops through their leaf leachates and rhizospheric soils. Objective: A study was conducted to investigate the phytotoxic action of four common waste-land weeds Parthenium hysterophorus L., Achyranthes aspera L., Lantana camara L. and Withania somnifera L. through their aqueous extracts and rhizospheric soils against winter crops Avena sativa L., Cicer arietinum L., Hordeum vulgare L. and Triticum aestivum L. Methods: Experiments were conducted in Agronomy laboratory in College of Agriculture at the University of Sargodha. In first experiment, 5% (w/v) water extract from entire plant of each weed was applied to germinating seeds of crops whereas in second experiment, crop seeds were subjected to the rhizospheric soil of each weed for germination test. Results: Results revealed that aqueous extracts of weeds were more phyto-inhibitory compared to their rhizospheric soils. Minimum germination percentage (42.5%), germination index (7.4), seedling vigor index (665.3), root length (3.27 cm), seedling length (14.15 cm) and seedling biomass (74.2 mg) of crops were recorded in response to aqueous extract of P. hysterophorus. Root growth of the crops was affected more compared to the shoot growth. Minimum germination percentage was observed in A. sativa (13.3) by the action of L. camara aqueous extract. Rhizospheric soil of L. camara and P. hysterophorus resulted in minimum germination percentages (57.5 and 58.3, respectively) and seedling vigor indices (1472.5 and 2008.4, respectively) of crops. The lowest germination (30%) and germination index (3.7) was observed for T. aestivum seeds germinated in the rhizospheric soil of W. somnifera. Among crops, A. sativa and C. arietinum were more susceptible to the aqueous extracts whereas T. aestivum to rhizospheric soils of weeds. Conclusions: It can be concluded that waste-land weeds especially P. hysterophorus and L. camara negatively affect the crops by their allelopathy.

In pot experiments, two adjuvants were evaluated for their efficacy in enhancing activity of five herbicides applied at reduced rates (75% of the recommended rates) on Emex spinosa at the cotyledon-leaf and at the two- to four- leaf stage. Herbicides (at recommended rates) including fluroxypyr+MCPA at 450 g a.i. ha-1, carfentrazone-ethyl at 20 g a.i. ha-1, bromoxynil+MCPA at 450 g a.i. ha-1, thifensulfuron-methyl at 75 g a.i. ha-1 and tribenuronmethyl at 75 g a.i. ha-1 alone and tank mixed at reduced rates with adjuvants, namely, alkyl ether sulphate sodium salt at 625 mL ha-1 or fatty alcohol ethoxylate at 375 mL ha-1. Addition of the adjuvants to reduced rates of fluroxypyr+MCPA and carfentrazone-ethyl, increased their efficacy with 100% mortality and biomass reduction of E. spinosa at the cotyledon- leaf stage and at the two- to four- leaf stage which was similar to their recommended rates without the adjuvants except for carfentrazone-ethyl at a reduced rate without adjuvants at the two- to four- leaf stage. Bromoxynil+MCPA at reduced rates with alkyl ether sulphate sodium salt also gave 100% control of E. spinosa over weedy check at the two- to four- leaf stage. Both the adjuvants generally increased the efficacy of tribenuron-methyl at reduced rates when sprayed at both leaf stages. These findings suggest that the use of adjuvants may increase the efficacy of the above mentioned herbicides against E. spinosa and it may be incorporated in an integrated weed management program.

Soil provides suitable media for plant growth and development during the whole crop life cycle. The agronomic management practices can improve the soil fertility and crop productivity on sustainable basis. To explore the effects of some agromanagement practices on the spring maize, an experiment was conducted at the Agronomic Research Area, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan, during spring season 2010 and 2011, using randomized complete block design with split block design arrangements. The experiment comprised of four tillage treatments viz: zero tillage (T₁), minimum tillage (T₂), conventional tillage (T₃) and deep tillage (T₄) in the main plots, while the four mulch treatments i.e. control (M1), black plastic mulch (M2), wheat straw mulch 10 Mg ha^-1 (M₃) and grass mulch 10 Mg ha^-1 (M₄) in the sub plots. Irrigation was provided according to crop requirement and herbicides were applied to control the weeds. All the tillage practices significantly affected (p<0.05) the different soil physical properties i.e. soil bulk density, soil total porosity, water infiltration rate and root penetration resistance. Deep tillage practice and black plastic mulch significantly increased the grain yield (m^-2) of spring maize than the zero tillage, minimum tillage, conventional tillage, no mulch, wheat straw mulch and rice straw mulch in both years of study. The two years field results suggested that the mulches improved soil aeration and water infiltration rate, lower the soil bulk density and root penetration resistance than the control treatments.