INTEGRATED WEED MANAGEMENT IN SUGARCANE (SACCHARUM-OFFICINARUM)

A field experiment was conducted during 1990-92 at Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore, to find out the effective weed-management practice that would keep the sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) field weed free throughout the growing season of the crop. Integrated management practices were compared with chemical and conventional methods of weed control. Integrated weed-management practices involving pre-emergence application of atrazine (1.0 or 2.0 kg ai/ha) or metribuzin (1.0 kg ai/ha) in combination with hoeing and weeding at 60 days or trash mulching after final earthing up at 90 days gave effective control of weeds both in the early and late stages of crop growth with higher cane and sugar yields. However, pre-emergence application of atrazine @ 1.0 kg ai/ha followed by trash mulching at 90 days was found most efficient and economical. None of the weed-control treatments affected the juice quality significantly.