View article

The root parasitic angiosperm Striga hermonthica (Del.) Benth parasitizes cereals, often causing 70-100% crop losses on farmers' fields. Two trials were conducted from 2001 to 2003 at Samaru in the Guinea Savannah of Nigeria. The first investigated the effect of tolerant (Across 97 TZL Comp 1-W) and susceptible (TZB-SR) maize cultivars, type of legume trap-crop (soybean, cowpea, or groundnut), and length of legume or natural fallow-maize rotation (1 or 2 years) on the incidence and severity of S. hermonthica in maize. The second evaluated the effect of tolerant and susceptible maize cultivars and nitrogen application rates on the incidence and seventy of S. hermonthica. The N levels were 0, 40, 80, 120, and 160 kg N ha^-1. The tolerant maize cultivar, Across 97 TZL Comp. 1-W, produced a higher grain yield, supported fewer S. hermonthica plants, exhibited more vigorous growth, and hence had lower …