Management of weeds in food legumesN TYadurajuauthorJ SMishraauthorWeeds are one of the major constraints in sustainable production of all crops including food legumes. The food legumes are mostly grown under rafufedJdry land conditions and hence do not receive the best management practices that are required for maximization of crop productivity. Crops, particularly grown during rainy season or under irrigated conditions are more heavily infested with weeds and hence experience heavy losses in crop yields if weed management is not adequately done. The crops are infested with such diverse weed flora that integration of diffdrent methods of weed management is needed for realizing the I full potential of the crop. The major weeds associated with food legumes are Trianthema portulacastrum and Echinochloa colona during rainy season, Pluchea lanceolata, Convolvulus arvensis, Carthamus oxycantha, Vida sativa and Asphodelus tenuifolius (in dry lands), Cichorium intybus, Medicago hispida, Chenopodium album, Phalaris minor and Avena ludoviciana (in irrigated lands) during winter season. Parasitic weed Cuscuta spp. is a serious problem in lentil, greengram and blackgram especially in rice-fallows. Broornrape (Orobanche spp.) is a great menace in several food legumes and is particularly very serious in faba bean and lentil in the Mediterranean region. Cultural, mechanical and manual methods are the principal methods used in the management of weeds in food legumes in many regions. However, perennial weeds viz., Cyperus rotundus, Sorghum halepense and Cynodon dactylon are not controlled due to their re-emergence. The effectiveness of manual or mechanical methods of weed removal could be enhanced by their timely Food Legumes2005Conference or Workshop Item