Effect of Weed Management Practices on Weeds, Soil Micro Flora and Yield of Sugarcane Ratoon

Field experiment was conducted to study the effect of weed management practices on weeds, soil micro flora and yield of sugarcane ratoon during 1999–2000 and 2000–01. Cyperus rotundus, Cynodon dactylon and Sorghum halepense dominated the field. Better weed control efficiency was recorded with trash burning+interculture+atrazine 2 kg ha⁻¹. Highest mean population of bacteria (207 x 10³ cfu g⁻¹), fungi (39.4 x 10² cfu g⁻¹), actinomycetes (16.25 x 10³ cfu g⁻¹) and microbial biomass carbon (317 μg g⁻¹) was recorded under trash mulching+interculture as against 2.01 x 10⁷ cfu g⁻¹, 33.9 x 10² cfu g⁻¹, 12.0 x 10³ and 266.5 μg g⁻¹, respectively under weedy conditions. Trash burning+interculture+preemergence application of atrazine at 2.0 kg ha⁻¹ gave 48.9% higher cane yield than weedy condition.