Published online by Cambridge University Press: 12 June 2017
A soilless unit was devised in which host plant (carrot, tomato) roots can be readily infected with broomrape. The simple, inexpensive and reusable unit consists of two glass plates, synthetic cloth, and foam rubber. The host plants are placed (or grown) between the glass plates, being held against one of the plates by foam rubber. The unit provides proper growing conditions, convenient visibility of host roots and parasite from an early stage of infection, and nondestructive access to the roots and parasite. Exposure of the broomrape seeds to a synthetic germination stimulant (GR 24) prior to their application to the host roots, generally, but not always, caused some increase in the number of parasitic infections and/or the rate of broomrape growth.