Witchweed, or Striga asiatica (L.) Kuntze, is as beautiful as it is deadly to large crops. A native plant to Africa and Asia, this invasive species first made its way into the U.S. in 1956. One study is calling it the “highly successful cereal killer.”
Worried Georgia gardeners can stand down though. The parasitic plant is only found in two states — North and South Carolina. But, it is a menace worth knowing about, especially if you’re a cereal farmer.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Invasive Species Information Center, Witchweed is a parasitic plant that attacks agriculture crops, such as corn, sorghum, sugar cane and rice.
“Farmers who grow cereal crops in most African countries are all too familiar with the challenges presented by striga, a parasitic plant also known as witchweed that infests farmers’ fields and causes lower yields, or even no harvest at all,” a study out of Cornell University said. “Now African scientists are breeding maize that can resist this pest plant as extension agents are offering farmers various solutions for improving yields in areas where the invasive weed is especially prevalent.”
Published by Plos Pathogens, the study “Habits of a highly successful cereal killer, Striga” explored the crop devastating effects of the Witchweed in detail.
“Striga is a highly successful pathogen of cereal crops in sub-Saharan Africa,” the study said. “Also known as witchweed, Striga is an attractive parasitic plant whose beautiful flowers belie its noxiousness. Most cultivated cereals, including maize, millet, sorghum, and rice, are parasitized by at least one Striga species, leading to enormous economic losses. Control strategies are limited but include common agronomic practices of hand weeding, crop rotation, and general sanitization techniques.”
According to the study, the plant has continued to spread though the years.
“With limited and ineffective management options, Striga has continued to increase both its host range and area under infestation,” the study said.
The silver lining, again, is that this talented parasite has not made its way into Georgia’s state lines.
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