In this study, a collaboration between Natural Resources Institute & Wageningen University & Research – Centre for Crop Systems Analysis, we demonstrate that the facultative parasitic weed Rhamphicarpa fistulosa benefits from fertiliser application (but only) when it parasitises on a host, both in terms of biomass and in terms of reproductive output (seeds). This contrasts […]
(MINI REVIEW) CRISPR gene editing to improve crop resistance to parasitic plants
Parasitic plants pose a significant threat to global agriculture, causing substantial crop losses and hampering food security. In recent years, CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) gene-editing technology has emerged as a promising tool for developing resistance against various plant pathogens. Its application in combating parasitic plants, however, remains largely unexplored. This review aims […]
Resistance against broomrapes (Orobanche and Phelipanche spp.) in vegetables: a comprehensive view on classical and innovative breeding efforts
Broomrapes (Orobanche and Phelipanche spp.) are root holoparasites deriving their nourishment from the parasitic interaction they establish with the host plant. Vegetable crops are severely affected worldwide from broomrapes infestations, which are hard-to-manage through the conventional agronomical practices and determines relevant production losses. The identification of resistant varieties represents the ideal solution to face with this noxious threat, […]
Publication: Large-scale interplant exchange of macromolecules between soybean and dodder under nutrient stresses
Dodder, a parasitic plant, obtains nutrients from its host through haustoria. The exchange of macromolecules between dodder and its host in nutrient-deficient environments is not well understood. In this study, it is shown that, when being subjected to nitrogen or phosphorus deficiency, at the transcript level soybean plants responded more strongly than did dodder plants. However, both plants exhibited significant changes […]
Registration open for the 17th World Congress on Parasitic Plants, 3–7 June 2024, Nara, Japan
Registration is now open for the 17th World Congress on Parasitic Plants (WCPP17), which will be held 3-7 June, 2024 in Nara, Japan. IPPS members will receive a discount on the registration fee. Early bird registration deadline : February 29, 2024Regular registration deadline : April 30, 2024Registration deadline for online participants : May 31, 2024 […]
IPPS seminar December 6, 2023 at 4 PM cet
The 5th 2023 IPPS seminar will held on Wednesday 6 December at 4:00 pm central European time. We will have the following talks: Jeanmaire Molina, from Pace University, USA will present work on “Reviving the corpse flower: unraveling the enigmatic biology of the iconic plant parasite Rafflesia for ex situ conservation” Jian You (Eric) Wang, […]
New book: “Parasitic Plants in African Agriculture” (CABI) – by L.J. Musselman & J. Rodenburg
This book brings together for the first time in a single volume, the ecology, biology, damage, and control of all groups of African parasitic plants including both the relatively few parasites introduced to the continent as well as those native parasites which have spread from within Africa. This covers the well-known witchweeds and broomrapes but […]
(Review article) Developing for nutrient uptake: Induced organogenesis in parasitic plants and root nodule symbiosis
Plants have evolved various strategies to adapt nutrient limited condition. As a reflection, parasitic plants and legume species produce specialized organs, the haustorium and the nodule, respectively, in order to acquire unique routes for nutrient uptake through intimate interaction with surrounding organisms. Initiation and developmental progression of haustorium and nodule require signal guidance from the […]
The 17th World Congress on Parasitic Plants, 3–7 June 2024, Nara, Japan
On behalf of the International Parasitic Plant Society (IPPS), it is our great pleasure to invite you to the 17th World Congress on Parasitic Plants (WCPP17), which will be held 3-7 June, 2024 in Nara, Japan. The WCPPs are a series of biennial meetings with a long tradition that started in Malta in 1973, providing […]
New paper: Essential plant nutrients impair post-germination development of Striga in sorghum
Infestation by the parasitic weed Striga is a major cause of cereal crop production losses on smallholder farms in Africa. Essential plant nutrients play an important indirect role in parasite seed germination, the first prerequisite for successful parasitism. Here, we demonstrate that increasing the nutrient availability for the host plant can also impede Striga development […]