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Accepted manuscript

Effect of planting geometry on wheat yield and wild radish (Raphanus raphanistrum) suppression

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 May 2026

Muhammad Awais Arshad
Affiliation:
Assistant Professor and Professor, Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan
Rana Nadeem Abbas
Affiliation:
Assistant Professor and Professor, Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan
Rania Baloch
Affiliation:
PhD and Master student, Department of Botany, Faculty of Sciences, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan
Mubashra Mazhar
Affiliation:
PhD and Master student, Department of Botany, Faculty of Sciences, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan
Usman Zulfiqar
Affiliation:
Lecturer, Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture & Environment, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Pakistan
P.V. Vara Prasad
Affiliation:
Professor, Department of Agronomy, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
Muhammad Adnan
Affiliation:
PhD Student and Senior Lecturer, La Trobe Institute for Sustainable Agriculture and Food (LISAF), Department of Ecological, Plant and Animal Sciences, AgriBio, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Ali Ahsan Bajwa*
Affiliation:
PhD Student and Senior Lecturer, La Trobe Institute for Sustainable Agriculture and Food (LISAF), Department of Ecological, Plant and Animal Sciences, AgriBio, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
*
*Author for Correspondence: Dr. Ali Ahsan Bajwa, Senior lecturer, La Trobe Institute for Sustainable Agriculture and Food (LISAF), Department of Ecological, Plant and Animal Sciences, AgriBio, La Trobe University, Melbourne 3086, Victoria, Australia. Email: A.Bajwa@latrobe.edu.au
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Abstract

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Wild radish (Raphanus raphanistrum L.) is a highly competitive annual broadleaf weed that significantly constrains wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production, particularly under increasing herbicide resistance and limited chemical control options. Optimizing sowing geometry offers a practical, non-chemical approach to enhance crop competitiveness and suppress weed growth. A field study was conducted during 2022 and 2023 to evaluate the impact of different sowing geometries on R. raphanistrum suppression and wheat productivity. The experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design with seven treatments, including broadcast sowing; line sowing at 11, 22, and 33 cm; ridge sowing (30 cm); bed sowing (60 cm); and cross sowing (22 cm). Sowing geometry significantly influenced R. raphanistrum density and biomass at all growth stages (15–45 days after sowing). Narrow spacing (11 cm) consistently resulted in the lowest weed density and biomass, while the wider 33 cm spacing resulted in the highest weed pressure. Crop growth and yield responses were consistent across years, with 11 cm line sowing producing the highest number of productive tillers (393.7 m-2), grains per spike (42.9), biological yield (15.4 t ha-1) and grain yield (6.0 t ha-1) averaged across two years. This treatment was closely followed by cross sowing (22 cm). In contrast, wider spacing (33 cm) reduced grain yield by approximately 25–30% due to increased weed competition and reduced crop competitiveness. Correlation and principal component analyses revealed a strong negative association between late-season weed biomass and wheat productivity, emphasizing the importance of sustained weed suppression during critical growth stages. Overall, narrow row spacing, particularly 11 cm line sowing, enhanced crop competitiveness, effectively suppressed R. raphanistrum, and maximized wheat yield, demonstrating its potential as an eco-friendly strategy for integrated weed management.

Information

Type
Research Article
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BYCreative Common License - NCCreative Common License - ND
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is unaltered and is properly cited. The written permission of Cambridge University Press must be obtained for commercial re-use or in order to create a derivative work.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2026. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Weed Science Society of America