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Longevity of Striga seeds reconsidered: results of a field study on purple witchweed (Striga hermonthica) in Bénin

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Gualbert Gbèhounou ,
Arnold H. Pieterse  and
Jos A. C. Verkleij
Arnold H. Pieterse
Affiliation:
Royal Tropical Institute, Agriculture and Enterprise Development, Mauritskade 63, 1092 AD Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Jos A. C. Verkleij
Affiliation:
Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1087, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Abstract

Germination and longevity of purple witchweed seeds stored in nylon gauze bags in the soil in situ were tested in northern Bénin over a 2-yr period, covering the rainy seasons in 1994 and 1995. The seeds were collected at Ina Station in November 1993 from corn and sorghum fields. It appeared that germination percentages of the seeds, which were stimulated by GR24 to germinate, as well as their viability according to a tetrazolium test, decreased steadily in wet soil. During the 1994 rainy season, germination percentage of seeds, which reached maximum values of 30 to 74%, decreased to values of 11 to 17%. During the 1995 rainy season, the number of germinating seeds decreased further, and at the end of this season the germination percentage approached zero. Seed viability also decreased in line with the decrease in germination. In addition to the study on longevity under field conditions, seeds also were exposed to various water regimens in pots. In the pot experiment, purple witchweed seed viability and germination declined in moist soil treatments. The dying-off process observed contradicts the common opinion on longevity of Striga seeds in their natural environment. “Wet dormancy” was not observed in the course of the rainy season.

Keywords

Purple witchweed, Striga hermonthica (Del.) Benth STRHEcorn, Zea mays L.sorghum, Sorghum bicolour (L.) MoenchGerminationviabilitydying-offrainy seasondry season
Type
Weed Biology and Ecology
Information
Weed Science , Volume 51 , Issue 6 , December 2003 , pp. 940 - 946
Copyright
Copyright © Weed Science Society of America 

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