Table of Contents
How many seeds are present in Striga?
Each plant is capable of producing between 90,000 and 500,000 seeds, which may remain viable in the soil for over 10 years. Most seeds produced are not viable. An annual plant, witchweed overwinters in the seed stage.
What is the common name for Striga asiatica?
Asiatic witchweed
Striga asiatica, the Asiatic witchweed or the red witchweed, is a hemiparasitic plant in the family Orobanchaceae. It is native to Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, but has been introduced into other parts of the world including Australia and the United States.
Is Striga a parasitic plant?
Striga are obligate root-parasitic plants of the major agricultural cereal crops, including millets, in tropical and semi-arid regions of Africa, Middle East, Asia, and Australia. Consequently, they cause severe to even complete losses in crop grain yield.
How do you control witchweed?
(witchweed), which causes considerable crop losses to sorghum (Sorghum vulgare Pers.) in the Sudan and elsewhere, can be controlled by spraying the young crop with hormone weed-killers of 2,4-D type two to three weeks after sowing.
How does witchweed grow?
Each capsule produces thousands of tiny, dust-like seeds that are dispersed after the rains at the end of the growing season. The seeds lie dormant until host roots exude chemicals that stimulate mycorrhizal fungi colonization and signal to the parasite what type of host is present and how far away it is.
What Striga means?
Definition of striga (Entry 1 of 2) 1 : a pointed appressed rigid hairlike scale or bristle. 2 : a flute in a column. 3 : striation.
What is witchweed used for?
Witchweed is a native to Asia and, ironically enough, one source stated that it can be used to treat internal parasites in humans. It parasitizes tropical and subtropical annual grasses, such as corn, sorghum, sugarcane, rice and certain weedy grasses. Infected host plants use all their energy feeding the parasite.
What are the characteristics of witchweed?
Witchweeds are branched herbs, 15 to about 75 cm (0.5 to 2.5 feet) tall, with opposite or alternate, usually narrow and rough or sometimes scalelike leaves. The two-lipped solitary flowers are red, yellow, purplish, bluish, or white.
How can Striga be prevented?
Today the most used control method against Striga is hand weeding. It is recommended to prevent seed set and seed dispersal. Weeding the small Striga plants is a tedious task and may not increase the yield of already infected plants, it is necessary to prevent seed production and reinfestation of the soil.
Is chemical used for control of Striga in jowar?
Atrazine, the most commonly recommended herbicide for weed control in sorghum in India, had virtually no effect on witchweed. This is in agreement with Yaduraju (1975), who previously reported that atrazine as a pre-emergence treatment is not effective in controlling this weed.
Where does witchweed grow?
Witchweed is native to Asia and Africa and was first identified in the United States, in the Carolinas, in 1955. It is listed as a Federal Noxious Weed. Infestation; July, 1984; Marion Langston (Right), showing corn stunted by witchweed infestation.
Is Striga a semi root parasite?
The genus Striga consists of obligate hemiparasitic root parasites, some of which are serious agricultural pests (Parker, 2009).
How do you get rid of Striga?
‘Push-pull’ involves planting Desmodium and Napier grass together with your maize to control Striga and stemborer. Desmodium produces a smell that drives away stemborer adults and also a chemical that prevents Striga from attaching to maize roots.
How do you control Striga?
Methods for integrated Striga control are described: (1) hand-pulling and hoe-weeding; (2) the use of Striga-free seed; (3) early planting; (4) intercropping of cereals with legumes; (5) the use of trap crops in rotation with cereals; (6) the use of inorganic N fertilizer and animal manure; (7) host plant resistance; ( …
How powerful is a striga?
Tactics. A striga is a very strong and agile creature, but not as resilient as she might seem; she attacks by surprise and tries to tear opponents to pieces without giving them a chance to fight back; near her sarcophagus, a striga is always stronger. The striga attacks use the blinding critical effect.
How long does a Witcher live?
Witchers can live to be over 150 years old, but probably a lot longer. Witchers are often viewed with fear and suspicion by the common folk.
What is suicidal germination?
One option to control these weeds involves the use of SLs as suicidal germination agents, where germination takes place in the absence of a host. Owing to the lack of nutrients, the germinated seeds will die. The structure of natural SLs is too complex to allow multigram synthesis.
How does Striga affect maize?
Once maize begins germinating in Striga-prevalent soil, it stimulates Striga seeds to germinate. Striga then attaches to the roots of the host plant, sapping nutrients from the plant, leading to stunting. The potential yield loss can reach up to 100%.
Where is witchweed found?
Native to Africa, witchweed was first found in the adjoining areas of North and South Carolina in the 1950s. An obligate hemiparasite, witchweed must be associated with an appropriate host. Witchweed is typically found in gardens, vacant fields, roadsides, yards and around farm buildings.
What affects the growth of witchweed (Striga asiatica)?
Growth of witchweed (Striga asiatica) as affected by soil types and air temperature. Weeds, 8:576-581 Robinson EL, Stokes IE, 1960. Witchweed: a potential pest of sugarcane in the United States. Sugar Journal, 23:25-27
How long do asiatica seeds last?
Each seed is about 0.3 mm long and only weighs about 5 µg. These seeds can survive in soil for at least 10 years and some reports suggest longevity up to 20 years. Flower colour is highly varied in S. asiatica.
What is the scientific name of Striga asiatica?
Preferred Scientific Name Striga asiatica Preferred Common Name witch weed Taxonomic Tree Domain: Eukaryota Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Spermatophyta Subphylum: Angiospermae Class: Dicotyledonae Summary of Invasiveness S. asiatica is a hemiparasitic plant, native to Africa and Asia.
What causes the growth of witchweed in the United States?
Robinson EL, 1960. Growth of witchweed (Striga asiatica) as affected by soil types and air temperature. Weeds, 8:576-581 Robinson EL, Stokes IE, 1960. Witchweed: a potential pest of sugarcane in the United States.