Field experiment was conducted at farmer field Puliampatti, Tamil Nadu to quantify the biological characteristics of Orobanche cernua under red sandy loam soils in tobacco and to evolve an efficient management practice for O. cernua control in tobacco. Orobanche seeds took on an average 50 days for emergence after tobacco transplanting with average fresh and dry weight of 39.20 and 4.410 g/shoot at seedling stage (15 days after emergence) and the average number of tillers was recorded nine per plant. The capsule production capacity was very high with an average of 50 capsules/shoot and with a weight of 0.095 g/capsule, with each capsule containing 3,966 seeds. Weed flora of the experimental field consisted of four grass weeds, one sedge and four broad leaved weeds. Among them Dactyloctenium aegyptium, Chloris barbata, and Cynodon dactylon under grasses, Cyprus rotundus under sedge and Amaranthus viridis and Phyllanthus niruri under broad leaved weeds were dominant. Besides these weeds, O. cernua, a total root parasitic weed was also found in abundance in the latter crop growth stage (60 days after transplanting). In the early stage (30 DAT), the relative density of grass weeds was higher (36.97%). However, in the latter stages (60 and 90 DAT), relative density of O. cernua was higher (56.77 and 79.40%). Direct application of imazethapyr 30 g/ha was recorded lesser Orobanche density, dry weight, nutrient removal and highest control efficiency on 55 DAT followed by plant hole application of neem cake 200 kg ha-1 on 30 DAT. Lesser density and higher weed control efficiency of other weeds were registered by DCA of glyphosate 2 g/l on 55 DAT. Higher leaf yield was observed with direct application of imazethapyr 30 g ha-1 on 55 DAT followed by plant hole application of neem cake 200 kg/ha on 30 DAT.