Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-s2hrs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-15T09:20:47.906Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Influence of nitrogen on germination and early development of broomrape (Orobanche spp.)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 June 2017

James H. Westwood  and
Chester L. Foy
Chester L. Foy
Affiliation:
Department of Plant Pathology, Physiology, and Weed Science, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061–0331
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Broomrapes are parasitic angiosperms that live on the roots of many important crop plants. We have conducted a series of in vitro experiments to investigate the direct effects of nitrogen fertilizers on broomrape seed germination and early development. These experiments confirm that nitrogen in the ammonium form is more inhibitory than nitrate, but we conclude that it is the elongation of the seedling radicle that is primarily inhibited by ammonium, rather than the seed germination itself. Reductions in radicle length were observed when ammonium solutions were applied during either preconditioning or germination periods. For germinating seeds, exposures to ammonium sulfate of 4 to 8 h (depending on the species) reduced radicle elongation by half, indicating a relatively rapid inhibition. Broomrape species varied in sensitivity to ammonium, with Orobanche aegyptiaca being the most tolerant, followed by O. crenata, O. ramosa, O. cernua, and finally O. minor as compared in the presence of 5 mM ammonium. However, all broomrape species were much more sensitive to ammonium toxicity than were host crop species under similar treatment conditions.

Keywords

Egyptian broomrape, Orobanche aegyptiaca Pers. ORAAEdrooping broomrape, O. cernua Loefl. ORACEcrenate broomrape, O. crenata Forsk. ORACRsmall broomrape, O. minor Sm. ORAMIbranched broomrape, O. ramosa L. ORARAAmmoniumcrop selectivityOrobancheparasitic weedradicle elongationORAAEORACEORACRORAMIORARA
Type
Physiology, Chemistry, and Biochemistry
Information
Weed Science , Volume 47 , Issue 1 , February 1999 , pp. 2 - 7
Copyright
Copyright © 1999 by the Weed Science Society of America 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Literature Cited

Abu-Irmaileh, B. E. 1981. Response of hemp broomrape (Orobanche ramosa) infestation to some nitrogenous compounds. Weed Sci. 29: 8–10.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Abu-Irmaileh, B. E. 1994. Nitrogen reduces branched broomrape (Orobanche ramosa) seed germination. Weed Sci. 42: 57–60.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Agbobli, C. A. 1991. Effect of nitrogen rates on Striga asiatica emergence in maize culture in Togo. Pages 28–30 in Ransom, J. K., Musselman, L. J., Worsham, A. D., and Parker, C., eds. Proceedings of the Fifth International Symposium on Parasitic Weeds. Nairobi, Kenya: CIMMYT.Google Scholar
Demirkan, H. and Nemli, Y. 1994. Effects of some fertilizers on Orobanche ramosa L. on tomato. Pages 499–501 in Pieterse, A. H., Verkleij, J.A.C., and ter Borg, S. J., eds. Proceedings of the Third International Workshop on Orobanche and Related Striga Research. Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Royal Tropical Institute.Google Scholar
Eplee, R. E., Norris, R., and Merritt, J. 1994. Effect of nitrogen on parasitic weed seed. Pages 528–533 in Pieterse, A. H., Verkleij, J.A.C., and ter Borg, S. J., eds. Proceedings of the Third International Workshop on Orobanche and Related Striga Research. Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Royal Tropical Institute.Google Scholar
Gworgwor, N. A. and Weber, H. C. 1991. Effect of N-application on sorghum growth, Striga infestation and the osmotic pressure of the parasite in relation to the host. J. Plant Physiol. 139: 194–198.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hibberd, J. M., Barker, E. R., Scholes, J. D., Quick, W. P., and Press, M. C. 1996. How does Orobanche aegyptiaca influence the carbon relations of tobacco and tomato? Pages 311–318 in Moreno, M. T., Cubero, J. I., Berner, D., Joel, D., and Musselman, L. J., eds. Advances in Parasitic Plant Research. Cordoba, Spain: Junta de Andalucia.Google Scholar
Jain, R. and Foy, C. L. 1992. Nutrient effects on parasitism and germination of Egyptian broomrape (Orobanche aegyptiaca). Weed Technol. 6: 269–275.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Joel, D. M., Steffens, J. C., and Matthews, D. E. 1995. Germination of weedy root parasites. Pages 567–597 in Kigel, J. and Galili, G., eds. Seed Development and Germination. New York: Marcel Dekker.Google Scholar
Mangnus, E. M. and Zwanenburg, B. 1992. Tentative molecular mechanism for germination stimulation of Striga and Orobanche seeds by strigol and its synthetic analogues. J. Agric. Food Chem. 40: 1066–1070.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McNally, S. F., Hirel, B., Gadal, P., Mann, A. F., and Stewart, G. R. 1983. Glutamine synthetases of higher plants. Plant Physiol. 72: 22–25.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nandula, V. K., Foy, C. L., and Westwood, J. H. 1996. Environmental influences on germination of Orobanche . Pages 409–416 in Moreno, M. T., Cubero, J. I., Berner, D., Joel, D., and Musselman, L. J., eds. Advances in Parasitic Plant Research. Cordoba, Spain: Junta de Andalucia.Google Scholar
Parker, C. and Riches, C. R. 1993. Parasitic Weeds of the World: Biology and Control. Wallingford, Great Britain: CAB International.Google Scholar
Pieterse, A. H. 1991. The effect of nitrogen fertilizers on the germination of seeds of Striga hermonthica and Orobanche crenata . Pages 115–124 in Wegmann, K. and Musselman, L. J., eds. Progress in Orobanche Research. Tübingen, Federal Republic of Germany: Eberhard-Karls-Universistät.Google Scholar
Pieterse, A. H. 1996. The effect of nitrogen on Orobanche and Striga— state of the art. Pages 273–282 in Moreno, M. T., Cubero, J. I., Berner, D., Joel, D., and Musselman, L. J., eds. Advances in Parasitic Plant Research. Cordoba, Spain: Junta de Andalucia.Google Scholar
Pieterse, A. H. and Verkleij, J.A.C. 1991. Effect of soil conditions on Striga development—a review. Pages 329–339 in Ransom, J. K., Musselman, L. J., Worsham, A. D., and Parker, C., eds. Proceedings of the Fifth International Symposium on Parasitic Weeds. Nairobi, Kenya: CIMMYT.Google Scholar
Press, M. C., Graves, J. D., and Stewart, G. R. 1990. Physiology of the interaction of angiosperm parasites and their higher plant hosts. Plant Cell Environ. 13: 91–104.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Raju, P. S., Osman, M. A., Soman, P., and Peacock, J. M. 1990. Effects of N, P and K on Striga asiatica (L.) Kuntze seed germination and infestation of sorghum. Weed Res. 30: 139–144.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ransom, J. K. and Odhiambo, G. D. 1994. Long-term effects of fertility and hand-weeding on Striga in maize. Pages 513–519 in Pieterse, A. H., Verkleij, J.A.C., and ter Borg, S. J., eds. Proceedings of the Third International Workshop on Orobanche and Related Striga Research. Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Royal Tropical Institute.Google Scholar
Sauerborn, J. 1991. The economic importance of the phytoparasites Orobanche and Striga . Pages 137–143 in Ransom, J. K., Musselman, L. J., Worsham, A. D., and Parker, C., eds. Proceedings of the Fifth International Symposium on Parasitic Weeds. Nairobi, Kenya: CIMMYT.Google Scholar
Smaling, E.M.A., Stein, A., and Sloot, P.H.M. 1991. A statistical analysis of the influence of Striga hermonthica on maize yields in fertilizer trials in southwestern Kenya. Plant Soil 138: 1–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stewart, G. R. and Press, M. C. 1990. The physiology and biochemistry of parasitic angiosperms. Annu. Rev. Plant Physiol. Plant Mol. Biol. 41: 127–151.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vail, S. L., Dailey, O. D., Blanchard, E. J., Pepperman, A. B., and Riopel, J. L. 1990. Terpenoid precursors of strigol as seed germination stimulants of broomrape (Orobanche ramosa) and witchweed (Striga asiatica). J. Plant Growth Regul. 9: 77–83.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
van Hezewijk, M. J., Linke, K. H., Verkleij, J.A.C., and Pieterse, A. H. 1991. The effect of ammonium fertilizer in combination with nitrification inhibitors on Orobanche crenata infestation in faba bean. Pages 470–483 in Ransom, J. K., Musselman, L. J., Worsham, A. D., and Parker, C., eds. Proceedings of the Fifth International Symposium on Parasitic Weeds. Nairobi, Kenya: CIMMYT.Google Scholar