Sugarcane Weed Management

Controlling weeds in sugarcane fields is most important to get good and high cane yield. Several weed species can infest sugarcane fields like grasses and sedges etc. These weeds may be annual or perennials. 

It is essential to control the weeds in sugarcane fields at their germination stage itself, it was reported that cane yield losses will be 12 to 72% if weeds are not controlled in the initial stages itself, and also it is depending upon the nature and intensity of the different weed species infesting the sugarcane field.  

Pre-emergence atrazine at a dosage of around 2.0 kg per hectare 3 days after sowing  is recommended. Which gives perfect control of both broad-leaf weeds and grasses germination from seeds. It will control the pre-emerging weeds for 30-35 days. But It does not control weeds that grow from vegetative parts. 

The most critical period of crop-weed competition in plant cane in has been found to be from 30 to 45 days after planting. In ratoon cane, this critical period has been found to be from 30 to 90 days after ratoon initiation. So that on 60th days after planting spay 2.4-D Sodium salt 80% 2 kg in 600 lit of water per hectare. Spraying should be done between two rows of cane plants.

Hand weeding should be done between the 30th, 60th, and 90th days after sowing to get maximum cane yield. Grow soybean, field bean, or jute as intercrops to reduce growth of weeds. The following integrated weed management practices have been found to be effective and economical for the control of weeds in sugarcane through the outcrop period.