Selection of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) varieties resistant to the parasitic weed Striga hermonthica (Del.) Benth

Pot and field experiments were performed in Burkina Faso in 1987 and 1988 to evaluate the resistance of selected ‘low-stimulant’ sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) varieties to the parasitic weed (Striga hermonthica (Del.) Benth. In a pot experiment, the variety IS-7777 supported the lowest number and had the latest emergence of Striga, compared with the other varieties tested. The varieties IS-14825, IS-6961, IS-7739, IS-14928 and IS-14975 also had signifi cantly lower numbers of emerged Striga per pot than the resistant control Framida. The resist ance of IS-7777 was confirmed in field experi ments, as was that of IS-7739, IS-6961 and IS-14928. However, the yield potential of these poorly adapted varieties was low in Striga-infested fields. The varieties IS-14975, IS–14825 and Seguetana Niarabougou exhibited a low susceptibility associated with a grain yield equivalent to that of the other varieties in farm fields infested by Striga. As Seguetana is already grown by Sahelian farmers, its use could be recommended in the absence of resistant varieties adapted to Sahelian agroclimatic conditions. The exceptionally high level of restance exhibited by IS-7777 could be exploited in studies on the genetics and mechanisms of resistance of the host plant to the parasite, as well as in sorghum improvement programmes.