From November 5 to 7, 2025, the inaugural National Symposium on Parasitic Plants was successfully held at Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). The symposium was co-chaired by Professor Jianqiang Wu and Professor Airong Li, both from the host institute. The event brought together leading researchers in the field of parasitic plant […]
We are delighted to announce the publication of the 88th issue of Haustorium! Please follow the link below to download Haustorium 88. This edition features, among other highlights, a message from the IPPS President with updates on the upcoming WCPP in Brazil; lively discussions of recent literature by Jonathan Gressel, Jeanmaire Molina, and Chris Thorogood; […]
Happy to present the work of postdoc Pornkanok Pongpamorn and PhD student Michelle Zwart, carried out in the Promise II project lead by Jos Raaijmakers. Parasitic weeds from the Orobanchaceae family, particularly Striga, Orobanche, and Phelipanche spp., are responsible for substantial agricultural losses worldwide. A better understanding of the intricate chemical interaction between parasitic plants and their […]
We are pleased to announce the speakers for our November IPPS seminars. First talk: Dr. Guillaume Brun from Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, will talk about “Seed metabolites headstart haustoriogenesis and potentiate aggressiveness of parasitic weeds” Second talk: Dr. Martina Leso, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, will talk about “Regulating haustoria numbers […]
Strigolactone (SL) biosynthetic mutants have repeatedly been associated with reduced germination of parasitic Orobanchaceae in vitro. However, the extent to which this translates into field resistance has been poorly investigated. Based on replicated field trials, we show that although the SL-deficient pea mutants rms1 and rms5 are more resistant to Orobanche crenata (Oc) than their […]
In the dry landscapes of Chile, two mistletoe species are proving that teamwork pays off—even for parasitic plants. A new study reveals that Tristerix aphyllus and Tristerix verticillatus, although competitors for pollinators and seed dispersers, actually help each other thrive when living side by side. Using camera traps over a two-year period, we found that […]
The IPPS October Seminar will again feature two talks: Guojing SHEN from the Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, will talk about: ‘Unraveling Cuscuta-host interactions: hormone/receptor-mediated host resistance and dual-functional resin glucosides from Cuscuta’ and Laia JENÉ from the Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Barcelona, Spain, will talk about: […]
The IPPS September Seminar will feature two talks: Prof. Ai-Rong Li from the Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, will talk about: “Unlocking the Cultivation Secrets of a Valuable Root Hemiparasitic Plant Malania oleifera (Olacaceae): From Ecological Adaptation to Molecular Regulation” and Run-Xian Yu from the from the Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy […]
Prof. Steven Runo from Kenyatta University has been elected to the board of the International Society for Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions (IS-MPMI). His appointment will help to bring more attention to parasitic plant research within the scientific community. Congratulations, Steven, on this well-deserved achievement! […]
The plant growth regulator zaxinone is essential for proper rice growth and development. Additionally, zaxinone and its two synthetic mimics, MiZax3 and MiZax5, have been shown to significantly promote crop growth and reduce infestation by the root parasitic plant Striga by suppressing strigolactone (SL) production, highlighting their potential for field application. Here, we developed 4 […]