RESEARCHM aize (Zea mays L.) and other cereals like sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] and pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] are the major staple food crops for millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa. Striga hermonthica (Del.) Benth has been recognized as one of the most destructive parasitic weeds, with its haustorial cells penetrating roots of maize and the other cereals to derive the resources for its growth and development (Parker and Riches, 1993). Since the 1980s, maize production in West and Central Africa has expanded considerably into the savannas, which are high-production zones, where this endemic obligate root hemiparasite poses a serious threat to maize cultivation (Ejeta, 2007). The area infested with S. hermonthica and its negative impact continue to increase because of diverse parasite seed dispersal mechanisms, including contaminated crop seeds, animals, farm implements, wind, and surface water (Berner et al., 1995;Ejeta, 2007). Climate change may further increase the geographic distribution and invasive potential of S. hermonthica, as habitats suitable for its growth might expand (Mohamed et al., 2007). Growth and yields of maize are adversely affected by the withdrawal of water, nutrients, and assimilates by this root parasite from the host to sustain its development (Gurney et al., 1999), causing yield losses that can reportedly reach up to 100% in severely infested smallholder farmer fields in Africa (Kim et al., 2002;Ejeta, 2007).Many control methods, including hand pulling, crop rotation, trap and catch crops, and the use of herbicides and N fertilizer,