Companion cropping to manage parasitic plants

Pickett, J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8386-3770, Hamilton, M., Hooper, A., Khan, Z. and Midega, C. 2010. Companion cropping to manage parasitic plants. Annual Review of Phytopathology 48 , pp. 161-177. 10.1146/annurev-phyto-073009-114433

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Abstract

Parasitic plants, through a range of infestation strategies, can attack crop plants and thereby require management. Because such problems often occur in resource-poor farming systems, companion cropping to manage parasitic plants is an appropriate approach. Many examples of companion cropping for this purpose have been reported, but the use of cattle forage legumes in the genus Desmodium as intercrops has been shown to be particularly successful in controlling the parasitic witchweeds (Striga spp.) that afflict approximately one quarter of sub-Saharan African cereal production. Through the use of this example, the development of effective companion crops is described, together with developments toward widespread adoption and understanding the underlying mechanisms, both for sustainability and ensuring food security, and also for exploitation beyond the cropping systems described here.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Schools > Chemistry
Publisher:	Annual Reviews
ISSN:	0066-4286
Last Modified:	11 Feb 2026 14:43
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/184666

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