Impact of Witch Weeds (<i>striga hermonthica</i>) on Sorghum Production and Its Managements in Ethiopia

Abstract

<i>Striga hermonthica</i> (Del.) Benth is a major constraint to sorghum productivity. Striga can cause a small percentage loss in yield and, in some situations, complete crop collapse. Striga resistant sorghums can be a valuable component if resistance is built into well-adapted and productive cultivars. Sorghum's potential output has been diminished due to a variety of abiotic and biotic stresses. Abiotic stressors like as drought and low soil fertility (nutrient deficit) are two of the most common. Parasitic animals are expected to cost the world £1.5 trillion every year. Heterotrophic flowering plants that may cling to their host crop are known as parasitic weeds. Haustorium acts as a physiological link between the parasite and the plant it parasitizes. Striga is a genus of Orobanchaceae hemiroot parasites that includes roughly thirty species. Striga is a photosynthesizing obligate hemi-parasite. Striga can be found in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia in tropical and semi-arid climates. Striga are root-parasitic, annual, chlorophyll-bearing plants that require a host plant to complete their life cycle. Striga seeds can produce 100,000 to 200,000 seeds per plant, but they must be pretreated and stored in a moist, warm environment (300C in germination). Over the course of its 20-year existence, Striga has the ability to produce thousands of seeds. If a chemical cue is released by the host plant's roots, they germinate. Therefore the purpose of this review paper is to assess influence of witch weeds (<i>striga hermonthica</i>) on sorghum production and its management’s methods.