Ecology of Weeds of Garlic Crop at Botanical Garden, University of Peshawar, Pakistan

Abstract

Current research was conducted to enlist the weed flora in the fields of Garlic (Allium sativum L.). Nineteen (19) plant species including seventeen (17) dicots and two (2) monocots of ten (10) families were recorded as weeds of Allium sativum L. Asteraceae and Polygonaceae were found the leading dicots families with 3 species (15.78%), followed by Brassicaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Papilionaceae and Poaceae with 2 species (10.52%) each. The remaining 3 families had 1 species representation. Life-form spectrum showed fifteen (15) species were Therophytes (79%), Geophytes had 3 species (15.78%) and Hemicryptophyte with 1 species (5.26%). Leaf size spectrum exhibited that Microphylls and Nanophylls were the leading leaf size classes with 6 species (31.57%) each, which were followed by Mesophylls with 3 species (15.78%), while Macrophylls and Leptophylls had 2 species (10.52%) each. Phenologically 73.68 % weeds were in reproductive stage and 26.31 percent in vegetative stage. Abundance classes indicated that majority of weed were frequent (10 Spp., 52.63%), occasional (7 Spp., 36.84%) and abundant (2 Spp., 10.52%). Weeds growing with cultivated crops reduce their productivity and thus must be controlled to ensure the highest productivity of cultivated crops. The poor floristic list of weeds might be due to the aromatic and allelopathic nature of Allium sativum L.