Photosynthetic and Growth Responses of Wheat Cultivars to Isoproturon Herbicide

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is the chief crop consumed for the source of energy, and is a staple food for ever growing population. Its yield must be increased sustainably for food security; but weeds are one of the deterrents in its yield production. Among the different herbicides used for control of weeds in wheat, isoproturon, a phenyl urea herbicide, is most commonly used due to its cost-effective nature and broad spectrum control ability of weeds. But the extensive use of the herbicides leads to deterioration of plant ultimately adversely affecting crop yield. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to observe the response of wheat cultivars to isoproturon application to know their potential to protect the photosynthetic and growth capability against isoproturon. Five cultivars of T. aestivum (HD-2851, PBW-550, PBW-343, PBW-502 and DBW-16) were screened against varying concentration of isoproturon application (0, 2, 5, 10 and 20 ppm) to select tolerant and sensitive cultivars in terms of photosynthetic and growth characteristics. The application of 20 ppm isoproturon most severely damaged photosynthesis and growth of the tested cultivars, while the other doses were less harmful. The cultivar PBW-343 showed maximum tolerance while cultivar PBW-502 was the most sensitive for the given isoproturon doses. The cultivar PBW-343 may be used safely for wheat cultivation even in the presence of isoproturon herbicide.