Floristic List of Weeds in Irrigated Sorghum bicolor (Grain Sorghum) Fields in the El-Meilg Area, Gezira Scheme, Sudan

Abstract

Studies on weed flora are fundamental for the development of effective weed management strategies. This study provides the first comprehensive inventory of weed species in irrigated grain sorghum fields using the Sudan Gezira Scheme. Field surveys were conducted during the August-October 2025 growing season across multiple farms in the El-Meilg region. A visual inventory method was employed to record weed species, which were identified using regional flora and online taxonomic databases (Kew Plants of the World Online, IPNI). This study documented 39 weed species across 34 genera and 14 families. Dicotyledons were dominant (28 species), followed by the monocotyledons (11 species). The Poaceae family was the most species-rich (8 species), followed by Malvaceae (7 species), and Fabaceae (5 species). Most weeds were annual, with fewer annual/perennial and perennial species. Propagation was primarily by seeds (31 species), with other species reproducing via seeds and/or stolons (5 species), seeds and/or rhizomes (2 species), or a combination of all three (2 species). This study established a critical baseline database for developing targeted weed control protocols for Sudan's most important agricultural systems.