Improved caudatum sorghum cultivars have spread since their introduction in the late nineteen-eighties in the Kolokani area, Mali, being cultivated at the turn of the millenium by many farmers over hundred villages, under the name "Gadiabani". Being compact-panicled, these varieties are prone to damage by the panicle-feeding bug Eurystylus oldi. On-farm trials were conducted in 1998 and 1999 in respectively 5 and 16 villages of this area, to establish the status of castor bean (Ricinus communis) as a source of sorghum infestation by E. oldi, and evaluate the management of this alternate host plant, in combination with sowing date manipulation and use of host plant resistance, as potential control options for this pest. Experimental designs were split-plots with 3 factors. Both years, 8 sorghum cultivars were planted in two dates (DOS). The third factor studied was vicinity with castor in 1998, and castor management in 1999. There were 5 replicates in 1998, and 3 in 1999. Head-bug numbers were recorded on maturing grains, and head-bug damage was visually rated at grain maturity. In 1998, infestation and damage by head-bugs on sorghum panicles in trials located close to castor plants were significantly higher than on those with no castor in their vicinity. In 1999, castor management either by insecticidal treatment or physical removal of flowering castor spikes on plants neighboring test plots, immediately before sorghum flowering, significantly reduced E. oldi populations on sorghum panicles. In both years, the effect of sowing date was not significant on head-bug population, while in 1998, head-bug damage scores were significantly higher on DOS1 than on DOS2. In 1998, the genotypic effect was significant for both parameters, the hybrid ICSH 89002 being the most infested and damaged genotype, while Malisor 84-7 and 94-EPRS-GII-1122 were respectively the less infested and the less damaged. In 1999, the genotypic effect was also significant, local guinea and head-bug r