Pest Management Science (2009) 65, 546-552

Antony M. Hooper, Ahmed Hassanali, Keith Chamberlain, Zeyaur Khan and John A. Pickett (2009)
New genetic opportunities from legume intercrops for controlling Striga spp. parasitic weeds
Pest Management Science 65 (5), 546-552
Abstract: In smallholder farming in East Africa, intercropping of maize with the cattle forage legume, Desmodium uncinatum Jacq., prevents parasitism by Striga hermonthica (Del.) Benth. (witchweed) through an allelopathic mechanism. Isoschaftoside, a di-C-glycosylflavone, isolated from the root extract and root exudate of Desmodium, interferes with in vitro radicle development of germinated Striga. The biosynthetic pathway of this class of compound is already mostly present in edible legumes and in cereals, so characterisation of the enzyme and genes that control C-glycosylflavone biosynthesis has the potential to create this protection mechanism in other agriculturally important plants.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Antony M. Hooper, Ahmed Hassanali, John A. Pickett

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
environment - cropping system/rotation

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Striga hermonthica (weed)	Maize/corn (Zea mays)