Applied Agriculture Sciences
Agriculture and food sciences | Online ISSN: 3066-3407
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Volume 4 Number 1 2026
RESEARCH ARTICLE (Open Access)
Abscisic Acid and Eruca sativa Extract Enhance Wheat Productivity via Weed Suppression: A Field-Based Comparative Study of Growth and Yield Dynamics
Noor Ali Hameed 1*, Lothar Khalid Ahmed 1, Ola Farooq Ismae 2
Applied Agriculture Sciences 4 (1) 1-11 https://doi.org/10.25163/agriculture.4110740
Submitted: 25 January 2026 Revised: 14 April 2026 Accepted: 20 April 2026 Published: 22 April 2026
Abstract
Wheat productivity, particularly under field conditions, is often constrained by persistent weed competition, which—despite conventional control strategies—remains difficult to manage sustainably. In this context, the present study explored whether alternative approaches, namely abscisic acid (ABA) and Eruca sativa aqueous extract, could influence weed dynamics and, in turn, improve wheat growth and yield performance. A field experiment was conducted using a randomized complete block design with two wheat cultivars (Iba’a 99 and Babylon) and three treatments: control, E. sativa extract, and ABA (100 ppm). Key growth and yield parameters—including plant height, flag leaf area, tiller number, grains per spike, and 1000-grain weight—were systematically evaluated. The findings suggest a somewhat nuanced response. While the control treatment produced the tallest plants, both ABA and E. sativa treatments significantly enhanced functional traits such as leaf area (35.09 and 32.31 cm²) and tiller number (7.54 and 5.86 tillers plant?¹, respectively). More notably, ABA consistently resulted in the highest reproductive outputs, including grains per spike (41.29) and 1000-grain weight (36.80 g). Across all parameters, Iba’a 99 outperformed Babylon, indicating strong genotype-dependent responsiveness. Taken together, these results suggest that both ABA and E. sativa extract may contribute to improved wheat productivity—not necessarily by promoting vegetative growth, but rather by subtly reshaping competitive dynamics and enhancing resource allocation efficiency. While further validation is warranted, such approaches may offer a promising step toward more sustainable and ecologically balanced weed management strategies.
Keywords: Wheat productivity, Abscisic acid (ABA), Eruca sativa extract, Allelopathy and weed control, Sustainable crop management
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