Essential plant nutrients impair post‐germination development of Striga in sorghum

Mwangangi, Immaculate M.; Büchi, Lucie; Runo, Steven; Rodenburg, Jonne

doi:10.1002/ppp3.10418

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 67 publications

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“…Rhamphicarpa fistulosa is, however, a facultative parasite, and seed germination of this species is independent of the presence of such stimulants ( Kabiri et al , 2016 ). Another explanation for reduced striga infection levels following fertilizer application could be that macronutrient supply also increases post-attachment resistance in host plants ( Mwangangi et al , 2023 ). It is not clear why improved host-plant nutrition does not enhance resistance against R. fistulosa .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fertilization benefits the facultative parasitic plant Rhamphicarpa fistulosa while gains by the infected host Oryza sativa are marginalized

Rodenburg,

Dümmer,

et al. 2023

Annals of Botany

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Background and Aims Rhamphicarpa fistulosa (Hochst.) Benth. is an annual facultative parasitic plant adapted to hydromorphic soils. In sub-Saharan Africa it causes high crop losses as a weed in rainfed lowland rice (Oryza sativa L.). Fertilisers are often proposed as control measure against hemiparasitic weeds but understanding of nutrient effects on R. fistulosa is currently still elusive. Methods In two greenhouse pot experiments, conducted in 2016 in the Netherlands and in 2019 in the UK, host plants (O. sativa, cv IR64) and parasitic plants (R. fistulosa) were grown alone or combined, and subjected to different nutrient availability levels. Biomass measurements were used to assess if and how nutrient availability effects are expressed in the host and parasite. Key Results Compared to parasite-free host plants, the biomass of parasite-infested plants was severely reduced and nutrient effects on host plant biomass were less pronounced. Inversely, increased nutrient availability did not have an effect on parasitic plants when grown alone, but when grown with a host the parasitic plant biomass proportionally increased. Grown together, the combined biomass of host plant and parasite was substantially lower than that of the host plant grown alone. The ratio in biomass between host plant and parasite was unaffected by nutrient availability. Conclusions Fertilization benefits to rice plants are severely reduced but not completely nullified by R. fistulosa infection. The parasite's production and reproduction benefits accrued from increased nutrient availability are restricted to conditions in presence of a host plant. Host presence and nutrient effects are thus observed to be synergetic; R. fistulosa plants parasitizing a suitable host respond strongly to increasing levels of nutrients. This is associated with an increased root biomass of the parasitic plant itself but more likely resulting from exploitation of the nutrient uptake capacity of the host plant it parasitizes on.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fertilization benefits the facultative parasitic plant Rhamphicarpa fistulosa while gains by the infected host Oryza sativa are marginalized

Rodenburg,

Dümmer,

et al. 2023

Annals of Botany

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The role of strigolactone structural diversity in the host specificity and control of Striga, a major constraint to sub‐Saharan agriculture

Shimels,

Rendine,

Ruyter‐Spira

et al. 2024

Plants People Planet

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Social Impact StatementThe parasitic weed Striga affects crops such as sorghum, maize, millet, and rice in over 40 countries on the African continent and negatively impacts the livelihood of over 300 million small‐holder farmers. Striga seeds can remain dormant in the soil for many years until they are triggered to germinate by germination stimulants, called strigolactones, exuded from the roots of their host. Here, the current knowledge on the biosynthesis of the strigolactones, their structural diversity, and biological relevance are reviewed. This knowledge could improve Striga control and thus improve the livelihood of small‐holder farmers.SummaryThe parasitic plant genus Striga causes major yield losses to several crops such as sorghum, millet, and rice in arid and semi‐arid regions of the tropics. For Striga to successfully parasitize its host plant, two conditions should be fulfilled: suitable germination conditions and the presence of a host plant that exudes so‐called germination stimulants, strigolactones, that are also as a signal to attract beneficial micro‐organisms such as arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. Different plant species exude qualitatively and quantitatively different blends of strigolactones, and this plays a key role in determining Striga host specificity. Sorghum lgs1 genotypes with a mutation in a sulfotransferase (SbSOT4A), for example, exude orobanchol and are resistant to Striga, while 5‐deoxystrigol is the major strigolactone exuded by susceptible cultivars with wild type SbSOT4A. In this review, we discuss the current knowledge on the biosynthesis of the large diversity of strigolactones, how SbSOT4A may be involved in this, and how strigolactone diversity may contribute to microbiome recruitment. Finally, we discuss how knowledge on the importance of strigolactone diversity can contribute to Striga control.

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The influence of farm resources and management decisions on the severity of Striga infestation and maize productivity in western Kenya

Rusinamhodzi,

Nguyen,

Marrou

et al. 2024

Weed Research

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The control of Striga is of critical importance for smallholder farmers cultivating maize and other cereals in the western region of Kenya. Therefore, advanced knowledge and analysis is needed to understand farmers' resource endowment and decision making with regards to crop management, and the possible effect on Striga infestation and crop productivity. The overall objective of the study was to understand the role of resource endowment and allocation decisions on Striga infestation and maize productivity and offer effective and locally adapted options in western Kenya. The study used semi‐structured questionnaires, focus group discussions and resource flow mapping to identify farm resources and key management decisions that are critical in management of Striga on smallholder farms. Soil was sampled from fields of selected farms and taken to the laboratory for analysis including Striga seed counts. In the fields, Striga shoots counts, and maize yield were recorded. Socio‐economic variables such as land size, household income, labour availability, were used to construct a farm typology and assign farmers to different resource groups (RGs). Our results showed that household diversity leads to different land‐use patterns, resource‐use intensity and agricultural management practices which affect soil fertility and Striga infestation. Poor‐resourced farmers tend to be associated with poor crop and soil management which results in maize fields with low soil fertility and high level of Striga infestation. Soil organic carbon showed a strong negative association with Striga infestation. Improving soil fertility is, therefore, the central component of any integrated and sustainable Striga management approaches, and technological solutions to address Striga and soil fertility issues, and they must be tailored to the farm and field diversity. The inclusion of legumes is highly recommended either as rotation or intercropping depending on land availability. Where possible, farmers may use mulch from previous crop residues to suppress weed emergence and prevent flowering and seed setting. Hand weeding though tiresome, remains a low‐cost effective method to control Striga especially in areas where fields are small as in western Kenya.

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Essential plant nutrients impair post‐germination development of Striga in sorghum

Cited by 3 publications

References 67 publications

Fertilization benefits the facultative parasitic plant Rhamphicarpa fistulosa while gains by the infected host Oryza sativa are marginalized

Fertilization benefits the facultative parasitic plant Rhamphicarpa fistulosa while gains by the infected host Oryza sativa are marginalized

The role of strigolactone structural diversity in the host specificity and control of Striga, a major constraint to sub‐Saharan agriculture

The influence of farm resources and management decisions on the severity of Striga infestation and maize productivity in western Kenya

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