Nutritional management and maize variety combination effectively control Striga asiatica in southern Africa

Abstract

Maize (Zea mays L.) is an important staple food crop in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and contributes significantly to food security. Due to Striga, maize yield loss is estimated between 20 and 80% forcing some farmers to abandon their land therefore threatening food security. Many strategies have been applied to combat Striga infested fields to improve maize yields but alternative feasible approaches are still required. This study aimed at determining effects of phosphorus (P) and maize variety on Striga asiatica germination and attachment. A factorial experiment of eight P levels (0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 and 70 kg ha−1), six maize varieties and Striga (inoculated and non-inoculated) in a 4 × 24 α-lattice design with three replications was set in a glasshouse at the University of Zimbabwe. A similar experiment was set under laboratory conditions using agar gel plates to determine S. asiatica germination using a complete randomized design with three replications. Adding P (at 40 kg ha−1) to soil infected with Striga, significantly (p < 0.05) reduced Striga counts and haustorial root attachments in all varieties with CV4 and R201 supporting lowest numbers. P also significantly (p < 0.05) improved plant height, chlorophyll content, leaf, cob, total biomasses and grain yield across all maize genotypes. Cultivar CV4 produced the highest grain yield under Striga attack. Furthermore, cultivars CV4 and CV1 had significantly (p < 0.05) lowest Striga seed maximum germination distance and percentages at zero P. Application of P reduced Striga germination, attachments and emergence in all varieties and increased tolerance of maize varieties.

Trenchant microbiological-based approach for the control of Striga: Current practices and future prospects

“…such as auxins and ABA are mitigated by AMF, hence, it is possible that root parasitic weeds have developed a method to intercept the communication signal and transform it into a germination-inducing signal to react when a suitable host is present (Mounde et al, 2020). This is validated by the study of Mutsvanga et al (2022) which reported higher chlorophyll contents in plants treated with AMF. Also, upon AMF inoculation, the physiological indicators including stomatal conductivity and photosynthetic rate was reportedly improved, while the biomass of Striga spp.…”

An Insight of Parasitic Weeds in Africa and Scientific Developments: A Review

“…Interestingly, these parasitic weeds can extract nutrients and water from their host plants, resulting in compromised yield quality and quantity. Over the past few decades, significant research efforts have been dedicated to addressing this challenge [3,[5][6][7][8] and minimising crop loss. The biology and ecology of parasitic weeds are complex, as they comprise multiple interactions between the compatible host plant, the parasite, and the suitable environment [9][10][11][12] .…”

“…Genetic tolerance and resistance have the potential to provide a long-term solution for controlling certain species of parasitic weeds [19] .  Manure application is an effective tool in controlling parasitic weeds [8,50] . Manure is a natural source of organic matter which reduces soil compaction and improves soil fertility, thus helping to suppress the growth of parasitic weeds.…”

Screening tropical and sub-tropical maize germplasm for resistance to Striga hermonthica and S. asiatica and yield-related traits

“…The species S. asiatica (red ower type) is predominant in Southern Africa, and S. hermonthica (purple ower) is widely distributed in Western, Central, and Eastern Africa (Dossa et al, 2023). The two holoparasites cause severe crop damage through stunting and leaf chlorosis, leading to yield losses ranging from 30-100% under severe infestation (Mutsvanga et al, 2022). Maize suffers yield losses caused by these parasites due to the paucity of Striga resistance sources in the maize gene pool, and only partial resistance has been reported.…”