Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the ability for weed control of the shoot extract of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) and developing a sustainable weed management in organic farming. When the dried shoot powder was mixed with soil and treated with 2 ㎝ above the soil surface, the germination for Echinochloa crus-galli, Digitaria cilialis, Abutilon theophrasti and Amaranthus retroflexus was inhibited maxium 40%. The growth inhibition of germinated seedlings in the A. theophrasti and A. retroflexus was maxium 30% while it was less than 30% in the E. crus-galli and D. cilialis. Shoot extracts at rates above 25 ㎎ ml -1 was effective to inhibit germination of D. cilialis, A. theophrasti and A. retroflexus. The shoot extract concentration required for 50% of germination inhibition was 60 ㎎ ml -1 in the E. crus-galli, while it was less than 10 ㎎ ml -1 in the D. cilialis, A. theophrasti and A. retroflexus. For the foliar application, 11 adjuvants were tested at 0.5% and DOS70, TM15 and TDE7 were most effective adjuvants for the shoot extracts. DOS70 was most effective and provided up to 60% of weed control efficacy for the tested four weed species. Though herbicidal efficacy of sorghum shoot was not enough to give a proper weed control, it can be expected that long term use of sorghum shoots can provide gradual decrease in weed seeds and weed density.

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