Effects of Intercropping Pearl Millet with Some Legumes on Striga Hermonthica Emergence

International Journal of Agriculture & Environmental Science

© 2017 by SSRG - IJAES Journal

Volume 4 Issue 6

Year of Publication : 2017

Authors : Aasha, M. Baraka, Amani H. Eltayeb, Rashida, M. A. Abusin, Nahid, A. Khalil

10.14445/23942568/IJAES-V4I6P113

How to Cite?

Aasha, M. Baraka, Amani H. Eltayeb, Rashida, M. A. Abusin, Nahid, A. Khalil, "Effects of Intercropping Pearl Millet with Some Legumes on Striga Hermonthica Emergence," SSRG International Journal of Agriculture & Environmental Science, vol. 4,  no. 6, pp. 64-72, 2017. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.14445/23942568/IJAES-V4I6P113

Abstract:

Striga hermonthica, (Del.) Benth, an obligate root parasitic plant, constitutes a major constraint to cereals production and a threat to agriculture and food security in sub-Saharan Africa. Many potential control methods were developed against the parasite including physical, cultural, chemical, and biological. However, so far these methods have only a limited impact on controlling Striga and today there is no single control method that can effectively solve this problem. The present investigation was undertaken at the College of Agricultural Studies (CAS), Sudan University of Science and Technology (SUST) at Shambat in 2015 – 2016 to determine the effects of intercropping pearl millet (Sudan Brawn and Wad-Elbshire cv.) with cowpea, green gram, and cluster bean on Striga millet strain incidence and pearl millet growth. Treatments were arranged in Complete Randomized Block Design with three replicates. The results showed that sole millet displayed highest Striga number while Striga number was generally lower in the intercrops. Cowpea intercropped with millet cultivars (Wad–Elbshire and Sudan Brown) at seedbank size of 32 and 64mg/pot, reduced Striga emergence by 57.1 -100%. Intercrops cluster bean with millet cultivars at Striga seedbank size of 32 mg/pot completely suppressed Striga emergence throughout the experiment. However, at Striga seedbank size of 64 mg/pot intercropping cluster bean with millet decreased Striga number by 28.3-70.9%. Green gram intercropped with millet cultivars, irrespective of seedbank size caused considerable reductions of Striga number (14.8-76.7%). All intercrops reduced Striga dry weight, in comparison to the sole millet. Intercropping cowpea with Wad-Elbashir, at Striga seedbank size of 32mg/pot increased significantly millet height by 82.4%. Intercropped Sudan Brown cultivar with cowpea and cluster bean at Striga seedbank size of 32mg/pot increased millet height by 35.7 and 35.1%, respectively. At Striga seedbank size of 64mg/pot, intercropping Wad–Elbashir with cluster bean decreased chlorophyll content significantly. At Striga seedbank size of 32mg/pot, intercropping Wad-Elbashir cultivar with cowpea and cluster bean increased millet dry weight. Cereal-legume intercropping and rotation could be used to combat S. hermonthica in cereals through induction of suicidal germination.

Keywords:

Striga hermonthica, suicidal germination, legumes, intercropping.

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