Thirteen fungal species were isolated from diseased plants of Striga hermonihica (Del.) Benth in northern Ghana. The pathogenidty of 12 isolates of the fungal species iQcludSng Curvularia fallax Boed, Fusarium equheti (Corda) Sacc., Fusarium equiseti var. buUatum (Sherb.) Wollenw., F. oxysporum Schlecht, F. soiani (Mart) Sacic., Macrophomina phaseoTma (Tassi) Goidan, and Sclerotium rolfsii (Sacc.) were evaluated against 5. hermtmthica xmder controlled environmental cooditions. All isolates were pathogenic to 5. hermonthica when propagated on whe at ( Triticum aestivum. L.) grains and incorporated pre-plan ting into the soil. However, their virulence difiEered. TWo isolates off. oxysporum and one isolate of F. soiani reduced the emergence of S. hermonthica by 88%. 98%, and 76%, respectively. Sorghum {Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) yield was increased by 26% when 5. hermonthica was controHed. In contrast, in the control treatment with 5. hermcmthim no yield could be obtained. The P. oxysporum isolates were not pathogenic on sorghum. Germination tests indicated that the F. oxysporum isolates were highly pathogenic to S. hermonthka seeds. Although the F. soiani isolate reduced the emergence afS. hermonthica in the pot experiments, it did not inlluetice germination. This indicates that pathogens may attack different stages in the life cycle of S, hermontkica.
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