Field dodder - how to control it?

Broad geographic distribution and spectrum of hosts make field dodder, Cuscuta campestris,\udone of the most widespread and most harmful pests among flowering parasitic plants.\udField dodder may become a problem in vegetable nurseries (e.g. tomato, sweet pepper\udand cabbage) or in potato or some other crop grown in plastic greenhouses. However,\udthe most devastating damage comes from field dodder outbreaks in newly-established\udperennial legume crops (alfalfa, clover, etc.), which are generally the preferred hosts of this\udparasitic flowering species. Apart from alfalfa and clover, an expansion of field dodder has\udbeen observed in recent years in sugar beet, too.\udDifferent measures are available for controlling field dodder, from preventive (pure\udseeding material, tolerant cultivars, etc.), to mechanical removal (mowing and hand weeding)\udto herbicide treatments. The most successful control of field dodder requires a systematic\udapproach ensured through integrated protection, which contributes to a more effective\udcontrol of parasitic flowering plants