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I am happy with this product of longterm collaboration with Pooja Bhatnagar. Here we used gene editing to reduce germination stimulant production in sorghum, which […]

A new Special Issue of Weed Research, dedicated to parasitic weeds, is now completed. Submissions focusing on all aspects -from biology, physiology and ecology to […]

Striga hermonthica, an obligate root parasitic weed affecting cereal crops, poses a significant threat to global food security in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Germination of Striga […]

In the temperate rainforests of southern Chile, scientists have uncovered a fascinating relationship between mistletoes and lianas (woody vines). A recent study published in Ecology […]

I am proud to present our new paper on the involvement of strigolactones in sorghum tolerance against Striga, which appeared in Weed Research today. This […]

Weeds are a major challenge in arable farming, vegetable, and fruit production. With increasing restrictions on herbicide use, effective weed management is becoming more difficult. […]

Parasitic plants initiate haustorium formation—a critical step in parasitism and nutrient acquisition—by recognizing haustorium inducing factors (HIFs) from their hosts. However, the mechanisms by which […]

The ability of parasitic plants to withdraw nutrients from their hosts depends on the formation of an infective structure known as the haustorium. How parasites […]

A recent study by Gabriela S. Olivares et al., conducted in the southern South American temperate rainforests, revealed how habitat structure influences the behavior of […]

Parasitic weeds of the Orobanchaceae family cause substantial economic losses and pose significant threats to global agriculture. However, management of these parasites is challenging, and […]

*** Online survey on parasitic weeds in Europe ***  Please help us to reach out to farmers and extension/research professional working with farmers in Europe […]

The Cuscuta transformation paper is now available online in the New Phytologist journal.  It also became a cover page. Here is the link.  https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/nph.20140?af=R#:~:text=Although%20Cuscuta%20species%20have%20been,produce%20flowers%20and%20viable%20seeds. […]