Grain Yield and Growth Traits of Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) as Affected by Interference with Wild Oat (Avena ludoviciana L.)

A pot experiment was performed to investigate the effects of root, shoot and full plant interference of barley by wild oat on leaf characteristics and root to shoot ratio. This experiment was conducted as factorial based on randomized complete design with four replications. The treatments consisted of four interference levels control, root, shoot and full plant interferences) and four wild oat densities (2, 4, 6 and 8 plants/pot). The effects of full plant and root interferences of barley and wild oat traits were higher than shoot interference. Full and below ground interactions of both species decreased the grain yield, flag leaf area and its chlorophyll content significantly, as compared to above ground interaction and control. All traits under study of wild oat were reduced by above ground interaction compared to control. Grain yield of barley and wild oat showed highest sensitivity to interaction of treatments. There was no significant difference between full and root interferences. Increasing plant density of wild oat decreased per plant seed yield, flag leaf area and chlorophyll content of barley leaf. Reduction of barley grain yield concering root, shoot and full interferences, as compared with control, were 28.75, 73.09 and 77.22 percent respectively. Results also revealed that interference of roots increased competitative ability of oats against barley. This indicates higher sensitivity of shoot than root to interference competition. This ratio for wild oat was more than barley. Therefore wild oat has higher rooting ability as compared to barley.