Drs. T.A. van Mourik: Striga hermonthica seed bank dynamics: process quantification and modelling

Co-Promotor: Dr.ir. T.J. Stomph
Co-Promotor: W. van der Werf

Striga hermonthica or witchweed is a parasitic plant that lives on the roots of cereals and a major cause for yield losses in semi-arid sub-Saharan Africa. To design solutions to the problem a quantitative understanding of the Striga seed bank dynamics (seed production and seed death) is needed. This PhD study tried to relate seed bank dynamics to different ways of growing the cereal crop that aim at avoiding or reducing the Striga problem. A quantitative model was developed to calculate long-term seed bank dynamics in a field that is cropped in different ways. The model indicated that several simple strategies such as growing the cereal together with a pulse crop and late weeding of the Striga plants could reduce the number of seeds in the soil and increasing cereal yield in the long-term. The findings have important implications for control of Striga and research carried out with farmers.

Title thesis: Striga hermonthica seed bank dynamics process quantification and modelling