Evaluation of new generation pre-emergence herbicides in forage sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.)

Pre-emergence (PE) atrazine is the most commonly used herbicide in forage sorghum, however, the discovery of new generation herbicides has opened weed control windows to be explored in forage sorghum for an extended period of weed control. Hence, a field experiment was conducted during rainy ( kharif ) seasons of 2021 and 2022 at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, India to evaluate the phytotoxicity and efficacy of very-long chain fatty acid elongase (VLCFAE)-inhibiting pre-emergence (PE) herbicides (metolachlor and pyroxasulfone) in comparison with PE atrazine alone and in sequence with post-emergence (PoE) atrazine and 2, 4-D. Weed free and weedy check treatments were also kept for comparison. No phytotoxicity of metolachlor on sorghum was observed, while pyroxasulfone’s phytotoxicity was minimal (rating