Center for Desert Agriculture, KAUST, Saudi Arabia

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Our Research Scientist, Dr. Muhammad Jamil represented the CDA at the 16th World Congress on Parasitic Plants He shared the #StrigaSolutions team’s success stories achieved through their Bill & Melinda Gates-funded project and discussed the latest advancements in suicidal germination technology for effective control of the #Striga parasite in cereals. The congress was organized by […]

WCPP16 Poster Prizes go to Japan and Kenya

It is a tradition to award the best three posters at the World Congress for Parasitic Plants, supported by the International Parasitic Plant Society (IPPS). This year at WCPP16 in Nairobi (Kenya), judging was particularly challenging for the jury, as the actual poster presentation by the authors could not be considered in order to ensure […]

Comparative genomics of orobanchaceous species with different parasitic lifestyles reveals the origin and stepwise evolution of plant parasitism

Parasitic plants evolved from autotrophs. Initially, certain autotrophs evolved to be facultative hemiparasitic plants which obtained only water and mineral nutrients from their hosts as supplements. Some of the facultative hemiparasitic plants later became obligate parasitic plants that had to depend on their hosts to complete their life cycles. Then gradually holoparasitic plants evolved from obligate parasites and they completely lost their photosynthesis capacity. In angiosperms, parasitic […]

IPPS awards Honorary Fellowship to five members

At the occasion of the 16th World Congress on Parasitic Plants held 3-8 July 2022 in Nairobi, Kenya, the IPPS has awarded Honorary Fellowships to (from left to right) Julie Scholes, Dan Nickrent, Abdelgabar Babiker (posthumous), Jonathan Gressel and Barach Rubin. They received this award for their service to the society and their important contributions […]

The tomato cytochrome P450 CYP712G1 catalyses the double oxidation of orobanchol en route to the rhizosphere signalling strigolactone, solanacol

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Strigolactones (SLs) were initially discovered as germination stimulants that induce the seed germination of parasitic plants of the Orobanchaceae (Striga, Alectra, Phelipanche and Orobanche genera). Half a century after this intriguing biological discovery, it was demonstrated that SLs are actually beneficial for plants, as they induce hyphal branching in arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. Another 3 yr later, SLs were revealed […]

16th World Congress on Parasitic Plants, 3–8 July 2022, Nairobi, Kenya a great success

Last week from 3–8 July, 2022 the 16th World Congress on Parasitic Plants was held in Nairobi, Kenya. Over a 100 participants, mostly on site, partially online, listened to a range of scientific presentations on parasitic plants, from wild, endangered, species to damaging agricultural weeds, and from ecology to molecular biology and control. This first […]

Trans-species microRNA loci in the parasitic plant Cuscuta campestris have a U6-like snRNA promoter

Cuscuta campestris haustorium on Arabidopsis thaliana

We have posted a new manuscript on bioRXiv by Collin Hudzik et al. Key findings are: There is no host-specificity in accumulation of Cuscuta campestris microRNAs; they are induced at a certain point in haustorial development. Almost all of the C. campestris genes that encode trans-species microRNAs have a common promoter element. The sequence and context of this element […]

IPPS travel grants for 16th WCPP in Nairobi

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The IPPS is providing travel grants to support students and young researchers from developing countries to attend the 16th World Congress on Parasitic Plants in Nairobi. Applicants must comply with the following conditions: You are an Early Career Scientist (e.g. MSc student, Ph.D. student, post-doc) You have registered to attend the WCPP and have submitted […]

Weed Research – Special Issue Biology, ecology and management of parasitic weeds: current status and new insights

Edited by Maurizio Vurro, David Chikoye and Jonne Rodenburg. At the occasion of this year’s 16th World Congress on Parasitic Plants (WCPP) in Nairobi (from 3-8 July, 2022), Weed Research is launching a Special Issue dedicated to the fascinating world of parasitic weeds. Submissions focusing on all aspects -from biology, physiology and ecology to management- […]