Striga and ways of control

Obligate parasitic plant witchweed (Striga spp) infects major cereal crops such as sorghum, maize, and millet, and is the most devastating weed pest . An understanding of the nature of its parasitism would contribute to the development of more sophisticated management methods. The Striga Technology Extension Project is an on-farm promotion activity that focused upon mobilising new approaches to striga control, specifically herbicide-resistant maize and legume suppression. The first year project goals were to deploy imazapyr-resistant maize and other innovative striga control technologies in a way that leads to the reduction of Striga in maize croplands and to introduce new striga management products to farmers through innovative input supply mechanisms. Striga is difficult to control once it gets bad, but understanding its life cycle can help prevent it getting bad in areas which are as yet uninfected. For this reason it is important to understand the life cycle. In the Striga control methods, the hoe weeded check resulted in lower grain yield as compared to plots that received followed by post –emergence Triclopyr 2,4 Deach at the rate of 0.36 kg a.i/ha or supplementary hoe- weeding.