A New Formulation for Strigolactone Suicidal Germination Agents, towards Successful Striga Management

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Plant Pathology
• Organic Chemistry

Background:

• * Striga hermonthica is an obligate root parasite devastating staple cereal crops in Africa, impacting food security.
• * Depleting Striga seed banks via suicidal germination is a key management strategy.
• * Effective application requires simple, efficient formulations suitable for African agriculture.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To develop and evaluate a new Emulsifiable Concentration (EC) formulation for Striga germination control.
• * To compare the efficacy of the EC formulation with a previous formulation (Atlas G-1086).
• * To assess the biological activity and stability of EC-formulated strigolactone (SL) analogs (MP3 and Nijmegen-1).

Main Methods:

• * Development of an Emulsifiable Concentration (EC) formulation for SL analogs MP3 and Nijmegen-1.
• * Evaluation of EC formulation's biological activity under laboratory, greenhouse, mini-field, and field conditions.
• * Comparison of EC formulation's efficacy against the Atlas G-1086 formulation.

Main Results:

• * The EC formulation exhibited superior activity against Striga germination with lower EC50 values and enhanced stability.
• * Greenhouse trials showed an 89-99% reduction in Striga emergence using EC-formulated SL analogs at 1.0 µM.
• * Significant reductions in Striga emergence were observed in mini-field and field experiments with the EC formulation.

Conclusions:

• * A novel and effective EC formulation for SL analogs has been successfully developed for large-scale Striga management.
• * The EC formulation facilitates the integration of the suicidal germination approach into sustainable agricultural practices in Africa.
• * This advancement offers a promising solution for mitigating the impact of Striga hermonthica on crop production and food security.