Abstract
The Striga, particularly S. he rmonthica, problem has become a major threat to food security, exacerbating hunger and poverty in many African countries. A number of Striga control strategies have been proposed and tested during the past decade, however, further research efforts are still needed to provide sustainable and effective solutions to the Striga problem. In this paper, we provide an update on the recent progress and the approaches used in Striga management, and highlight emerging opportunities for developing new technologies to control this enigmatic parasite.
Highlights
Striga species of the Orobanchaceae family are obligate root parasites that infest staple crops in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), Middle East, and parts of Asia (Tank et al, 2006; Parker, 2012)
The Striga, S. hermonthica, problem has become a major threat to food security, exacerbating hunger, and poverty in many African countries (Pennisi, 2010; Khan et al, 2014)
We provide an update on the recent progress and the approaches used in Striga management, and highlight emerging opportunities for developing new technologies to control this enigmatic parasite
Summary
Striga species of the Orobanchaceae family are obligate root parasites that infest staple crops in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), Middle East, and parts of Asia (Tank et al, 2006; Parker, 2012). For sustainable Striga management, any control method should target at least one of the following goals (Figure 1): (1) PREVENTION: avoiding seed dispersal, for instance, by using clean crop seeds, tools, and fodder, controlling animal grazing or applying phytosanitary/quarantine measures; (2) CONTAINMENT: limiting new seed production by planting resistant (pre- and post-attachment, see below) varieties, using fertilizers, applying herbicides, employing a number of agronomic practices, such as hand weeding, deep sowing, burning, fallowing and soil solarization, and the application of chemicals that reduce the release of germination stimulants by the host; and (3) REDUCTION: reducing Striga seed bank accumulated in infested soils by employing cultural practices, such as trap cropping, inter cropping, and crop rotations, employing microbial agents that impact Striga and/or Striga/host interaction, applying synthetic germination stimulants in host’s absence, and by developing specific inhibitors that block germination of preconditioned seeds and decrease their viability.
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