Integrated weed management for sugarcance (Saccharum officinarum) plant- ratoon cropping system

A field experiment was conduced during 2000-03 and 2001-04 to evolve suitable and economical integrated weed-management technologies for sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) plant and ratoon crops. The treatments comprised four different weed-management practices for plant (chemical, integrated, interculture and weedy check) and ratoon (integrated, trash mulching, interculture and weedy check). In plant crop the integrated method (one hoeing after first irrigation followed by spraying of atrazine 2 kglha after second irrigation in moist soil) and in ratoon crop the integrated method (one hoeing followed by spraying of atrazine 2 kglha in moist soil at ratoon-initiation stage) or trash mulching were observed to be better weed-management technologies for cane production, involving less costs. Rice-mustard-sugarcane (plant)-ratoon-wheat cropping system was found more economical than rice-wheat-sugarcane (plant)-ratoon-wheat cropping system.