Parasitic weeds
Plant-plant parasitism is a well-known and studied biological phenomenon, ranging from relative independence of the parasite on the host plant (the facultative and the hemi-parasites) to complete dependence (the holo-parasites). Parasitic plants are further subdivided into stem parasites and root parasites. Around the world, parasitic plants lead to severe economic losses, in particular when they parasitize food crops.
Parasitic weeds can significantly reduce both quantity and quality of the harvestable products. Species of parasitic weeds are found across many agro-climatic zones and cropping systems and represent the whole array of possible parasitism. The most important root parasitic weeds are Broomrapes (Orobanche spp. and Phelipanche spp.) in temperate and Mediterranean zones, and the Witchweeds (Striga spp. and Alectra spp.) and Rice Vampireweed (Rhamphicarpa fistulosa) in the tropics. We study different aspects of these parasitic weeds, ranging from their ecology and biology, the drivers and future directions of their distribution, to effective and affordable management strategies.
