Mutation Breeding and Efficiency Enhancing Technologies for Resistance to Striga in Cereals

This open access book is a compilation of protocols developed through a Coordinated Research Project of the Joint FAO/IAEA Center of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, specifically focused on mutation breeding for resistance to Striga. The book consists of three sections; (i) a general introduction on Striga biology and impact and mutagenesis in cereal […]

Researchers Identify Microbes That Help Plants Thwart Parasite

Press release UC Davis Bacteria that could help one of Africa’s staple crops resist a major pest have been identified by researchers at the University of California, Davis. Their findings, published March 26 in Cell Reports, could improve yields of sorghum, a mainstay of food and drink in West and East African countries. About 20 […]

New paper: Host interactions, pathology, economic impacts and management of the facultative parasitic weed Rhamphicarpa fistulosa

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 In the Open Access publication “Host interactions, pathology, economic impacts and management of the facultative parasitic weed Rhamphicarpa fistulosa” we review, discuss and interpret the past 10 years of research conducted on rice vampireweed, a fascinating but destructive parasitic plant:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cropro.2024.106688This review starts where the previous review, conducted in 2014, finished: https://doi.org/10.1111/wre.12129  Since that previous review we’ve […]

Screening tropical and sub‑tropical maize germplasm for resistance to Striga hermonthica and S. asiatica and yield‑related traits

Figure 2_Dossa et al 2023-min-1

Emeline N. Dossa · Hussein Shimelis · Admire I. T. Shayanowako · Mark D. Laing https://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-024-03309-2 Our study identifies tropical and sub-tropical maize varieties with dual resistance to Striga asiatica and S. hermonthica, prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This discovery is instrumental in breeding new maize cultivars with stable Striga resistance and enhanced grain yield, […]

New paper: “Macronutrient application rescues performance of tolerant sorghum genotypes when infected by the parasitic plant striga”

IPPS-newsRodenburg

https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcae031 (Open Access) In this study we demonstrate that nutrient availability decreases striga infection levels across host plant genotypes varying in striga tolerance levels. Macronutrients seem to be the main drivers of this observed reduction in striga infection. They improve the photosynthesis rates of striga infected sensitive genotype and even restore those of tolerant sorghum […]

Travel grants awarded – 17th World Congress on Parasitic Plants, 3–7 June 2024, Nara, Japan, .

The IPPS and the WCPP2024 local organizing committee have awarded six IPPS fellowships to: The IPPS fellowship consists of a 1,000 Euro IPPS contribution to travel costs and WCPP funded waiver of the registration fee. The fellowship is intended for early carrier scientists for applicants coming from low- and middle-income countries. The WCPPs are a […]

IPPS Executive Committee Election 2024

We are delighted to announce the commencement of the nomination process for the 2024 Executive Committee (EC) election. This is an exceptional opportunity for committed members like yourself to actively shape the future trajectory and success of our organization. In 2024, the following positions within the IPPS Executive Committee will conclude their term of service: […]

Phytotoxic fungal secondary metabolites as herbicides

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Abstract : Among the alternatives to synthetic plant protection products, biocontrol appears as a promising method. This review reports on the diversity of fungal secondary metabolites phytotoxic to weeds and on the approach generally used to extract, characterize, identify and exploit them for weed management. The 183 phytotoxic fungal secondary metabolites discussed in this review […]

Promising results of Suicidal Germination Technology against Striga in Field Trials in Sorghum in Tanzania

Tanzania field visit

Recently we tested liquid formulation of two promising suicidal agents MP3 and Nijmegen-1 in Highly Striga infested famers field in Tanzania in collaboration with Dr Dennis Tippe of TARI. The results looks very promising and we observed 50-70% reduction in Striga emergence. The results indicate future scope and hope to reduce Striga infestation in African […]