Abstract
Field trials were conducted to investigate the potential of newly introduced herbicides, smother cropping, and integration of chemical and cultural methods for effective control of weeds in sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench]. All treatments reduced density and dry weights of dominant weeds, and increased sorghum grain yields compared to weed control plots. Three treatments gave grain yields comparable to the weed-free control, viz., smother cropping using cowpea or mungbean and using metolachlor or pendimethalin pre-emergent at 1.0 kg active ingredient (ai) ha-1 followed by one manual weeding at 45 days after seeding and metolachlor at 1.5 kg ai ha-1. All the weed management treatments were remunerative over the unweeded control and resulted in substantial economic gains. However, substantial additional profit over the clean-weeded check was obtained only with metolachlor pre-emergent at a rate of 1.5 kg ai ha-1, smother cropping using cowpea or mungbean, and with treatments that included chemical and manual weeding.
