Striga Biology and Its Management in Maize: A Review

Abstract

Striga spp., S. hermonthica (Del.) Benth. and S. asiatica (L.) Kuntze are obligate root hemi-parasites belong to the family Orobanchaceae and cause devastating yield losses in maize production in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Control of striga is difficult due to the ability of the parasite to produce large number of seeds that can remain viable in the soil for more than 15 year and complex nature of the host-parasite relationship. This review presents an update on the recent knowledge on Striga biology, life cycle and management options in maize. Striga life cyle is complex and generally involves germination, attachment to host, haustorial formation, penetration and establishment of vascular connections, accumulation of nutrients, flowering and seed production. A number of Striga management strategies, such as cultural and agronomic practices, chemical control, biological control, host resistance and integrated Striga management (ISM), have been proposed during the past decade. ISM approach, through integrating Striga-resistant maize cultivars with other control methods, is considered the most economical and affordable for small-scale farmers. Novel genetic approaches such as marker assisted breeding, targeted gene editing or mutation breeding and RNA interference (RNAi) may allow the development of Striga resistant maize genotypes.