Infestation of crop fields by Striga species in the savanna zones of northeast Nigeria

Dugje, I.Y.; Kamara, A.; Omoigui, L.O.

Infestation of crop fields by Striga species in the savanna zones of northeast Nigeria

Autores

Dugje, I.Y.

Kamara, A.

Omoigui, L.O.

Editor

Elsevier

Descripción

Parasitism of crop plants by Striga species is a major constraint in the savanna zones of West Africa. Farmers ranked Striga as a leading constraint during a livelihood analysis of 30 communities in northeast Nigeria. A field survey was conducted to ascertain the extent of infestation by Striga spp. About 935 crop and fallow fields were surveyed across 30 communities in three agro-ecological zones. Four major Striga species were identified: Striga hermonthica in sorghum or maize; Striga aspera in rice; Striga densiflora in pearl millet and fallow and Striga gesnerioides in cowpea. About 68% of all fields sampled were infested, about 75% of compound fields and 60% of bush fields. The level of infestation was 60% in southern Guinea, 68% in Sudan and 74% in northern Guinea savanna. The level of infestation of cereal fields by S. hermonthica was in the order of Sudan savanna > Northern Guinea > Southern Guinea. Infestation of cowpea with S. gesnerioides was in the order of Northern Guinea savanna > Sudan savanna > Southern Guinea savanna. Across the three ecozones, about 85% of fields planted to maize and sorghum were infested with S. hermonthica and 81% of cowpea fields with S. gesenerioides. S. aspera infested 40–59% of rice fields and S. densiflora infested 27–60% of millet fields and fallow.