Hostname: page-component-6dbcb7884d-vqfl6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-02-14T09:07:07.413Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Mineral Nutrition and the Parasite-Host Relationship of Witchweed

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 June 2017

G. H. Egley
G. H. Egley*
Affiliation:
Plant Science Research Division, Agr. Res. Ser., U. S. Dep. of Agr., Witchweed Laboratory, Whiteville, North Carolina
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The influence of mineral nutrition on the parasite-host relationship of witchweed (Striga lutea Lour.) and sorghum (Sorghum vulgare Pers. ‘Texas Bighead’) was investigated in greenhouse and growth chamber studies. Sorghum was grown in Eustis loamy sand, either infested or not infested with witchweed, and treated with one of three levels of mineral nutrients. Witchweed reduced host-shoot yields by about 70% at the low nutrient levels and by about 45% at the highest nutrient level. Witchweed produced seed at all nutrient levels, whereas the host produced seed at the highest level only. Increased nutrition also increased witchweed yields. Regardless of nutrient level, an early attack by witchweed was more destructive to the host than a late attack. Growth of witchweed in soil also was studied after the parasite was detached from the host or the host shoot was removed. When only the host shoot was removed, (a) witchweed growth was inhibited; (b) feeding of sucrose to witchweed did not restore parasite growth; (c) mineral nutrients were toxic to the parasite; and (d) high relative humidity around witchweed protected it from the nutrient toxicity. High relative humidity enhanced survival of the detached parasite but markedly inhibited growth of witchweed in the intact parasite-host relationship.

Type
Research Article
Information
Weed Science , Volume 19 , Issue 5 , September 1971 , pp. 528 - 533
Copyright
Copyright © Weed Science Society of America 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Literature Cited

1. Andrews, F. W. 1947. The parasitism of Striga hermonthica on leguminous plants. Ann. Appl. Biol. 34:267–294.Google Scholar
2. Basler, E., Slife, F. W., and Long, J. W. 1970. Some effects of humidity on the translocation of 2,4,5-T in bean plants. Weed Sci. 18:396–398.Google Scholar
3. Hartt, C. E. 1967. Effect of moisture supply upon translocation and storage of 14C in sugarcane. Plant Physiol. 42:338–346.Google Scholar
4. Hoagland, D. R. and Arnon, D. I. 1950. The water culture method for growing plants without soil. California Agr. Exp. Sta. Ext. Serv. Circ. 347. 32 p.Google Scholar
5. Kramer, P. J. 1959. Transpiration and the water economy of plants, p. 607–726. In Steward, F. C. (ed.) Plant Physiology, A treatise, plants in relation to water and solutes. Vol. 2. Academic Press, New York.Google Scholar
6. Last, F. T. 1960. Effect of cultural treatments on the incidence of Striga hermonthica (Del.) Benth. and yields of sorghum in the Sudan: Field experiments 1957–1958. Ann. Appl. Biol. 48:207–229.Google Scholar
7. Last, F. T. 1960. Incidence of Striga hermonthica (Del.) Benth. on two varieties of irrigated sorghum differently manured, spaced, and thinned. Trop. Agr. 37:309–319.Google Scholar
8. Last, F. T. 1961. Direct and residual effects of Striga control treatments on sorghum yields. Trop. Agr. 38:49–56.Google Scholar
9. Meyer, B. S. and Anderson, D. B. 1952. Plant Physiology. D. Van Nostrand Co., Inc. New York. 784 p.Google Scholar
10. Millar, A. A., Duysen, M. E., and Wilkinson, G. E. 1968. Internal water balance of barley under soil moisture stress. Plant Physiol. 43:968–972.Google Scholar
11. Okonkwo, S. N. C. 1966. Studies on Striga senegalensis Benth. I. Mode of host-parasite union and haustorial structure. Phytomorphology. 16:453–463.Google Scholar
12. Okonkwo, S. N. C. 1966. Studies on Striga senegalensis II. Translocation of 14C-labelled Photosynthate, urea-14C and sulphur35 between host and parasite. Amer. J. Bot. 53:142–148.Google Scholar
13. Okonkwo, S. N. C. 1966. Studies on Striga senegalensis (Scropholariaceae) III. In vitro culture of seedlings: Establishment of cultures. Amer. J. Bot. 53:679–687.Google Scholar
14. Pallas, J. E. Jr., Michel, B. E., and Harris, D. G. 1967. Photosynthesis, transpiration, leaf temperature, and stomatal activity of cotton plants under varying water potentials. Plant Physiol. 42:76–88.Google Scholar
15. Pearson, H. H. W. 1913. The problem of the witchweed. Agr. J. Union of South Africa 6:803–805.Google Scholar
16. Rogers, W. E. and Nelson, R. R. 1962. Penetration and nutrition of Striga asiatica . Phytopathology 52:1064–1070.Google Scholar
17. Saunders, A. R. 1933. Studies in phanerogamic parasitism, with particular reference to Striga lutea Lour. Union of South Africa Dep. Agr. Sci. Bull. No. 128, 56 p.Google Scholar
18. Shaw, W. C., Shepherd, D. R., Robinson, E. L., and Sand, P. F. 1962. Advances in witchweed control. Weeds 10:182–192.Google Scholar
19. Solomon, S. 1952. Studies in the physiology of phanerogamic parasitism with special reference to Striga lutea Lour, and S. densiflora Benth. on Andropogon Sorghum Hack. Proc. Indian Acad. Sci. Sect. B. 35:122–131.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
20. Stephens, Edith L. 1912. The structure and development of the haustorium of Striga lutea . Ann. Bot. 26:1067–1076.Google Scholar
21. Tarr, S. A. J. 1961. Witchweed (Striga hermonthica) on rain-grown pearl millet in nitrogen-deficient sandy soil of the central Sudan. Ann. Appl. Biol. 49:347–349.Google Scholar
22. Wilson-Jones, K. 1953. Relation of witchweed (Striga) to fertility in tropical soils. Nature 172:128.Google Scholar
23. Younis, A. E. and Agabawi, K. A. 1965. Effect of Striga hermonthica Benth. and nitrogen application on the growth and nitrogen content of Sorghum vulgare Lur. Acta. Biol. (Zagrib) 15:361–369.Google Scholar