| Asiatic witchweed | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Orobanchaceae |
| Genus: | Striga |
| Species: | S. asiatica
|
| Binomial name | |
| Striga asiatica | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Striga lutea | |
Striga asiatica, the Asiatic witchweed or the red witchweed,[1] is a hemiparasitic plant in the family Orobanchaceae. It is native to Asia and sub-Saharan Africa,[2] but has been introduced into other parts of the world including Australia and the United States. Asiatic witchweed is a serious agricultural pest, as it parasitises important crop species, including corn, rice, sorghum, and sugar cane, often causing substantial yield reductions.[1]
While it is native to Africa and Asia, it is invasive in farmlands of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.[1]
In the US, this witchweed was discovered in the Carolinas in 1956.[3] It is considered an invasive agricultural pest, and a vigorous eradication campaign has reduced the affected area by 99% [from 450,000 acres (1,820 km2) to about 3,400 acres (1,400 ha)].[4]
Biological control can be achieved by growing a Desmodium (tick-trefoil) undercrop (see push–pull technology). The trefoil can be used as green manure or animal fodder after the harvest.[5]
- ^ a b c "Striga asiatica (Red Witchweed)". Retrieved 24 April 2019.
- ^ Cochrane, V.; Malcolm C. Press (1997). "Geographical Distribution and Aspects of the Ecology of the Hemiparasitic Angiosperm Striga asiatica (L.) Kuntze: A Herbarium Study" (PDF). Journal of Tropical Ecology. 13 (3): 371–380. doi:10.1017/S0266467400010579. JSTOR 2560290.
- ^ •Werth, C.R.; Riopel, J.L. Riopel; Gillespie, N.W. (1984). "Genetic uniformity in an introduced population of witchweed (Striga asiatica) in the United States". Weed Science. 32 (5): 645–648. doi:10.1017/S0043174500059725. JSTOR 4043983.
- ^ Spallek, T.; Mutuku, J.M.; Shirasu, K. (2013). "The genus Striga: A witch profile". Molecular Plant Pathology. 14 (9): 861–869. doi:10.1111/mpp.12058. ISSN 1464-6722. PMC 6638688. PMID 23841683.
- ^ "Asiatic Witchweed". Retrieved 24 April 2019.