Field studies were carried out during kharif 1990-92 in Karnataka, India, to investigate herbicides (alone or in mixture), or combined with hoeing + hand weeding, or combined with hoeing twice + hand weeding for weed control in cotton (cv. AH-107 Gouri). The herbicides used were diuron (1 kg/ha), pendimethalin (1.5 kg/ha), fluchloralin (1 kg/ha), alachlor (2 kg/ha) and butachlor (1.5 kg/ha). Diuron + pendimethalin + hoeing twice + hand weeding resulted in significant higher seed cotton yield (2150 kg/ha) than the local weed control method of hoeing twice + hand weeding twice (1575 kg/ha). Diuron + pendimethalin + hoeing twice + hand weeding had the highest net returns (Rs 13 825).