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Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium effects on the incidence of Striga asiatica (L.) Kuntze in maize
Author(s) -
FARINA M. P. W.,
THOMAS P. E. L.,
CHAN P.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
weed research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.693
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1365-3180
pISSN - 0043-1737
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-3180.1985.tb00667.x
Subject(s) - striga , striga hermonthica , competition (biology) , phosphorus , biology , scrophulariaceae , agronomy , field experiment , potassium , parasitic plant , nutrient , nitrogen , host (biology) , horticulture , botany , chemistry , germination , ecology , organic chemistry
Summary This work was conducted in an attempt to elucidate some of the effects of nutrition on the incidence of witchweed ( Striga asiatica (L.) Kuntze) in maize ( Zeu mays L.). In an N, P, K field trial N applications resulted in up to 93% reduction in the incidence of witchweed. Maize height was unaffected by N and decreases in the incidence of Striga could not be attributed to the effects of host‐parasite competition. Although plant height was 10% lower on zero‐P plots, P did not have a significant effect on Striga and the beneficial effects of N were equally evident on both high and low‐P plots. Potassium applications had the opposite effect to N. While the main effect of K was not quite significant at the 5% level of probability, an N × K interaction was evident, and in the absence of applied N, K applications led to a more than 4‐fold increase in the incidence of Striga. As with N, K did not influence plant height and it seems unlikely that competition effects were responsible.