Field developments on Striga control by Desmodium intercrops in a ‘push-pull’ strategy

Khan, Zeyaur R., Midega, Charles A. O., Hassanali, Ahmed and Pickett, John A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8386-3770 2007. Field developments on Striga control by Desmodium intercrops in a ‘push-pull’ strategy. Ejeta, Gebisa and Gressel, Jonathan, eds. Integrating New Technologies for Striga Control, World Scientific Publishing, pp. 241-252. (10.1142/9789812771506_0018)

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Abstract

During investigations into the control of insect damage to maize crops in Kenya, which involved intercropping with repellent plants, the fodder legumes silverleaf (Desmodium uncinatum) and greenleaf (D. intortum) reduced S. hermonthica infestations of maize. This effect was significantly better than other food legumes. Although soil shading and additional nitrogen contributed to reduced levels of S. hermonthica infestation, an allelopathic mechanism associated with D. uncinatum was a major factor, as seen in pot elution experiments. Root exudates of D. uncinatum contain isoflavanones that stimulate germination of S. hermonthica and related constituents that inhibit its lateral root growth. Other Desmodium spp., have similar effects, indicating comparable phytochemical and physiological attributes. Desmodium-based intercrops have been developed for both sorghum and maize. Economic analyses indicate that this strategy is more profitable than both maize mono- and maize-bean inter-crops.

Item Type:	Book Section
Book Type:	Authored Book
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Schools > Chemistry
Publisher:	World Scientific Publishing
ISBN:	9789812707086
Last Modified:	18 Feb 2026 16:12
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/184973

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