Striga hermonthica (Del.) Benth has Dual Negative Effect on its Host Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench

Striga is a parasitic weed causing remarkable yield lose in Sorghum bicolor. In this study, phytotoxicity of leaf and flower extracts of Striga hermonthica were investigated on three sorghum varieties under laboratory conditions. Before allelopathic bioassay, total phenolics, alkaloids and terpenoids were quantified in the extracts. For allelopathic bioassay, 5 and 10% (w/v) aqueous extracts were prepared by reconstituting dried crude extracts of leaf and flower of S. hermonthica in distilled water. Varieties of sorghum named Muyra 1 (M1), Muyra 2 (M2) and Fendishe (Fe) were treated with equal amounts of 5 and 10% (w/v) extracts in Petri dishes lined with Whatman no.1 filter paper. The control treatment received distilled water and treatments were laid out in a completely randomized design with three replications. Germination parameters were monitored for 15 days and General linear model was used to analyze data. Results showed that both leaf and flower of S. hermonthica produce phenolics, alkaloids and terpenoids. Values of total phenolics and total alkaloids did not show significant variation, whereas total terpenoid was significantly higher in flower than leaf. Percent germination, shoot and root lengths as well as their dry weights were significantly affected by extract concentration, sorghum variety and their interactions. Compared to control, percent germination and seedling growth were highly reduced at 5% w/v extract concentration and completely inhibited at 10% w/v extract concentration. Varieties were not differentially affected by leaf extracts, but M1 and M2 appeared to be more affected than Fe by flower extract. The result also showed that root growth was more affected by extracts than shoot growth. Overall, this study for the first time revealed that S. hermonthica reduces yield of S. bicolor not only due to parasitism, but also through its negative allelopathic effect on seed germination and early seedling growth.

PDF

___

Africa Harvest. 2010. Importance of sorghum with respect to Africa. Available at: http://biosorghum.org /importance_sorhum_africa.php. (Accessed on July 5, 2017).

Alsaadawi IS, Dayan FE. 2009. Potentials and prospects of sorghum allelopathy in agroecosystems. Allelopathy J., 24: 255–270.

Asadduzzaman MD, Mahbub IM, Shamima S. 2010. Allelopathy and allelochemicals in rice weed management. Bangladesh Research Publications Journal., 4: 1–14.

Asghari J, Tewari JP. 2007. Allelopathic Potentials of Eight Barley Cultivars on Brassica juncea (L.) Czern. and Setaria viridis (L.) Beauv. J Agr Sci Tech., 9: 165–176.

Atera EA, Azuma T, Ishii T. 2012. Farmers perspective on the biotic constraint of Striga hermonthica and its control in Western Kenya. Weed Biol. Manag., 12: 53–62.

Baličević R, Ravlić M, Knežević M, Serezlija I. 2014. Allelopathic effect of field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis L.) water extracts on germination and initial growth of maize. Anim Plant Sci., 24: 1844–1848.

Baoua M, Bessiere JM, Pucci B, Rigaud JP. 1980. Alkaloids from Striga hermonthica. Phytochemistry., 19: 718.

Bebawi F, Farah AF. 1981. Effects of Parasitic and Non-Parasitic Weeds on Sorghum. Exp. Agric., 17: 415 – 418

Bonanomi G, Del Sorbo G, Mazzoleni S, Scala F. 2007. Autotoxicity of decaying tomato residues affects susceptibility of tomato to fusarium wilt. J Plant Pathol., 89: 219–226.

Bonanomi G, Legg C, Mazzoleni S. 2005. Autoinhibition of germination and seedling establishment by leachate of Calluna vulgaris leaves and litter. Community Ecol.,6:203–208.

Chala CB. 2018. Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.)] Breeding in Ethiopia: Review. Journal of Biology, Agriculture and Healthcare., 8: 2224-3208.

Chandler PM, Zucar JA, Jacobson JV, Higgins TJV, Inglis AS. 1984. The effect of gibberellic acid and abscisic acid on a-amylase mRNA levels in barley aleurone layers studies amylase cDNA clone. Plant Mol. Biol., 3: 407–408.

Dekker J, Maggitt WF. 1983. Interference between velvet leaf (Abutilon theophrasti Medic.) and soybean (Glycine max (L) Merr.) I. Growth. Weed Res., 23: 91–101.

Edeoga HO, Okwu DE, Mbaebie BO. 2005. Phytochemical constituents of some Nigerian medicinal plants. Afr. J Biot., 4: 685–688.

Egigu MC, Ibrahim MA, Yahya A, Holopainen JK. 2011. Cordeauxia edulis and Rhododendron tomentosum extracts disturb orientation and feeding behavior of Hylobius abietis and Phyllodecta laticollis.Entomol Exp Appl., 138: 162 – 174.

Einhellig FA. 1996. Mechanism of action of allelochemicals in allelopathy. Agron. J., 88: 886–893.

FAO. 2016. FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations). [Online] Available at: http://faostat3.fao.org /browse/Q/QC/E (Accessed on June 18, 2018).

Flamini G, Cioni PL, Morelli I, Ceccarini L, Andolfi L, Macchia M. 2003.Composition of the essential oil of Medicago marina L. from the coastal dunes of Tuscany, Italy. Flavour Fragr. J., 18: 460–462

Gairola KC, Nautiyal AR, Dwivedi AK. 2011. Effect of temperatures and germination media on seed germination of Jatropha curcas L. Adv. Biomed. Res., 2: 66-71.

Gniazowska A, Bogatek R. 2005. Allelopathic interactions between plants. Multi-site action of allelochemicals. Acta Physiol. Plantarum., 27: 395–407.

Hadas B. 2015. Distribution, Abundance and Socio-Economic Impacts of Parthenium (Parthenium hysterophorus) in Southern Zone of Tigray, Ethiopia, Journal of Poverty, Investment and Development., 19: 22–29.

Hamidi R, Pirasteh-Anosheh H, Izadi M. 2013. Effect of seed halo-priming compared with hydro-priming on wheat germination and growth. Int J Plant Prod., 4: 1611–1615.

Hansen U, Seufert G. 1999. Terpenoid Emission from Citrus sinensis (L.) OSBECK under Drought Stress. Phys. Chem. Earth (B)., 42: 681–687.

Harborne JB. 1973. Phytochemical Methods: A Guide to Modern Techniques of Plant Analysis. Chapman and Hall: Ltd. London. UK.

Hassan MM, Daffalla HM, Yagoub SO, Osman MG, Abdel Gani ME, Babiker EA. 2012. Allelopathic effects of some botanical extracts on germination and seedling growth of Sorghum bicolor L. Journal of Agricultural Technology., 8: 1423–1469.

Hayelom B. 2014. Advanced research on Striga hermonthica control: A review, Afr. J. Plant Sci.,8: 492 –506.

Hozayn M, Lateef EMA, Sharar FF, Monem AAA. 2011. Potential uses of sorghum and sunflower residues for weed control and to improve lentil yields. Allelopathy J., 27: 15–22.

Ibrahim MA, Egigu MC, Kasurinen A, Yahya A, Holopainen JK. 2010. Diversity of volatile organic compound emissions from flowering and vegetative branches of Yeheb, Cordeauxia edulis (Caesalpiniaceae), a threatened evergreen desertshrub.Flavour Fragr. J., 25: 83 – 92.

Jiang Y, Ye J, Li S, Niinemets U. 2016. Regulation of floral terpenoid emission and biosynthesis in Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum). J Plant Growth Regul., 35: 921–935.

Koua FHM, Babiker HAA, Halfawi A, Ibrahim RO, Abbas FM, Elgaali EI, Khalafallah MM. 2011. Phytochemical and biological study of Striga hermonthica (Del.) Benth Callus and Intact Plant. Res. Pharma. Biotechnol., 3: 85–92.

Macias FA, Galindo JCG, Massanot GM. 1992. Potential allelopathic activity of several sesquterpene lactone models, Phytochemistry, 31: 1969–1777.

Majeed A, Chaudhry Z, Muhammad Z. 2012. Allelopathic assessment of fresh aqueuous extracts of Chenopodium album L. for growth and yield of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Pak J Bot., 44: 165–167.

Mali AA, Kanade MB. 2014. Allelopathic effect of two common weeds on seed germination, roots-shoot length, biomass and protein content of Jowar. Ann. Biol. Res., 5: 89–92.

Malik SK, Ahmad M, Khan F. 2017. Qualitative and quantitative estimation of terpenoid contents in some important plants of Punjab, Pakistan. Pak. J. Sci., 69: 150–154.

Okpako LC, Ajaiyeoba EO. 2004. In vitro and in vivo antimalarial studies of Striga hermonthica and Tapinanthus sessilifolius extracts. Afr. J. Med. Sci., 33: 73–75.

Peteros NP. 2010. Antioxidant and cytotoxic activities and phytochemical screening of four Phillppine medicinal plants. J. Med. Plants Res., 4: 407–414.

Rispail N, Dita MA, Gonzlez-Verdejo C, Prezde-Luque A, Castillejo MA, Prats E, Rubiales D. 2007. Plant resistance to parasitic plants: molecular approaches to an old foe. New Phytol.,173: 703–712.

Rodenburg J, Bastiaans L. 2011. Host‐plant defense against Striga hermonthica.: reconsidering the role of tolerance. Weed Res., 51: 438–441.

Runo S, Kuria, E. 2018. Habits of a Highly Successful Cereal Killer, Striga. PLoS Pathogens, 14: e1006731.

Samedani B, Juraimi AS, Rafii MY, Anuar AR, Sheikh-Awadz SA, Anwar MP. 2013. Allelopathic effects of litter Axonopus compressus against two weedy species and its persistence in soil. Sci. World J., 695–404.

Sasikumar K, Vijayalakshmi C, Parthiban KT. 2002. Alleopathic effects of Eucalyptus on blackgram (Phaseolus mungo L.). Allelopathy J., 9: 205–214.

Showemimo FA. 2006. Effect of Striga hermonthica on yield and yield components of sorghum in Northern Guinea savanna of Nigeria. J. Plant Sci., 1: 67–71.

Singleton VL, Rossi JA. 1965. Colorimetry of Total Phenolics with Phosphomolybdic-Phosphotungstic Acid Reagents. Am J Enol Vitic., 16: 144–158.

Solomon CU, Arukwe UI, Onuoha I. 2013. Preliminary phytochemical screening of different solvent extracts of stems bark and roots of Dennetia tripetala. Asian J PlantSci Res., 3: 10–13.

Tawaha AM, Turk MA. 2003. Allelopathic effects of black mustard (Brassica nigra) on germination and growth of wild barley ( Hordeum spontaneum). J. Agron. Crop Sci., 189: 298–303.

Thilagavathi T, Arvindganth R, Vidhya D, Dhivya R. 2015. Preliminary Phytochemical screening of different solvent mediated medicinal plant extracts evaluated. Int. Res. J. Pharm., 6: 246–248.

USDA (United States of Department of Agriculture). 2016. World Sorghum Production 2015/2016. Available at: https://www.worldsorghumproduction.com/. (Accessed on June 1, 2018).

Zerihun S. 2015. Effect of nitrogen fertilizer on Striga hermonthica infestation, yield and yield related traits on sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] varieties at Kile, Eastern Ethiopia. M.Sc. Thesis, Haramaya University, Ethiopia.