Phelipanche aegyptiaca management in tomato

Abstract

Summary Phelipanche and Orobanche species (broomrapes) are root holoparasitic plants that cause severe damage to economically important crops. Phelipanche and Orobanche spp. are widespread in Mediterranean areas, in Asia and in Southern and Eastern Europe, attacking dicotyledonous crops and depending entirely on their hosts for all nutritional requirements. Phelipanche aegyptiaca, Phelipanche ramosa and Orobanche cernua are extremely troublesome weeds on tomatoes. These noxious parasites exert their greatest damage prior to their shoot emergence and flowering; therefore, the majority of field loss may occur before diagnosis of infection. This review summarises the four main control measures for the weedy root parasites Phelipanche and Orobanche in tomato, namely chemical and biological control, resistant varieties and sanitation. Some of these methods are commercially widely used by farmers in Israel (chemical control), some are in the final stages of development towards commercialisation (resistant varieties and sanitation), and some still require further development and improvement before commercial implementation (biological control). The review presents an up‐to‐date summary of the available knowledge on their use for broomrape management in processing tomatoes.