Weed Management Effects on Growth and Yield of kharif Grain Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.)

A field experiment was conducted during the Kharif seasons of 2017 to 2019 in heavy black soils of Main Sorghum Research Station, Navsari Agricultural University, Surat (Gujarat), to evaluate the effect of different weed management practices in rainfed kharif grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) with pre and post emergence herbicides (Atrazine, Halosulphuron methyl and 2, 4-D) alone or combination of these herbicide followed by hand weeding and interculturing. Weed-free treatment (T2 : Two HW at 25 and 50 DAS + 1 IC at 50 DAS) recorded the highest plant height (233.9 cm) at harvest, highest panicle length (33.3 cm), maximum grain (3627 kg/ha) and stover (13910 kg/ha) yields in pooled results of three years which were followed by treatment T8 (1.5 kg/ha (PE) + one HW at 40 DAS) and totally chemical control treatment T6 (Atrazine 1.5 kg/ha (PE) + 2 4 D 1.0 kg/ha (amine) at 40 DAS). Among the weed control treatments, maximum net returns of ` 81,855/ha was recorded under weed free treatment followed by ` 79,520/ha with treatment atrazine 1.5 kg/ha (PE) + one HW at 40 DAS) while the highest B: C ratio 2.35 was obtained from the treatment T6 (Atrazine 1.5 kg/ha (PE) + 2 4 D 1.0 kg/ha (amine) at 40 DAS).