Management of Orobanche spp. in economically important crops: A review

Abstract

Orobanche (Broomrape) is an angiospermic root holoparasitic plant lacking chlorophyll and entirely dependent on the host plants for water, nutrients, and carbohydrates. It causes yield losses ranging from 5% to 89% in economically important crops, especially in the drier and warmer regions of the Northern Hemisphere, such as the Mediterranean, western Asia, Australia, and both North and South America. The Orobanche family parasitizes plants belonging to the Leguminosae, Apiaceae, Asteraceae, and Solanaceae, and Cruciferae families. The seeds of Orobanche are tiny, and one healthy plant can yield over a one million minute seed, which can endure for up to 13 years. The seeds of Orobanche initiate germination upon receiving a germination signal, particularly the release of strigolactones from the host root. The seeds are easily dispersed from infected fields to healthy fields, making it a serious problem for management. This review aims to discuss and summarize the distribution and various alternative methods for managing this parasitic weed, including preventive measures, physical methods (such as hand weeding, flooding or irrigation, and soil tillage) chemical method (such as seeds treatments, foliar applications, and the use of glyphosate) agricultural practices(such as intercropping with catch or trap crops, crops rotation, sowing date, soil fertility management, and tolerance or resistant varieties) biological control method ( including insects, fungi, and bacteria) and integrated approaches (the most effective).