The problem of Orobanche spp. and Phelipanche spp. and their management in Iran

Abstract

Broomrape species (Orobanche spp. and Phelipanche spp.) pose a tremendous threat to economically important crops in Iran; however, there is little information on the country’s major broomrape species, their distribution and host range, and the subsequent crop losses they cause. The literature from Iran describes Egyptian broomrape (Orobanche aegyptiaca Pers.), hemp broomrape (Orobanche ramosa L.), Phelipanche nana (Reut.) Beck and Orobanche cumana Wallr. as the major species of broomrape infesting agricultural fields. Solanaceae crops are among the most susceptible crops to infestation by broomrape in the country and farmers are either shifting production to crops with lesser value or abandoning crop production entirely. Among infested crops, tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is the most susceptible and widely infested, resulting in annual crop yield reductions of up to 40%. Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) and canola (Brassica napus L.) are also highly susceptible to broomrape infestation. Current control methods (physical, agronomical, biological, and chemical) have not proven to be effective or economic. The microscopic size of broomrape seeds and the presence of a wide range of host plants (weeds and crops) have promoted the spread of broomrape to new areas of Iran. Hence, the familiarization of farmers with the biology of broomrape would be highly effective in finding suitable control measures and in preventing its further distribution.

Managing Root Parasitic Weeds to Facilitate Legume Reintroduction into Mediterranean Rain-Fed Farming Systems

“…There have been numerous efforts to develop control measures for broomrape management in legume cropping systems [10,11,13,18,[38][39][40]. Unfortunately, the result has not been satisfactory, and the problem remains unresolved in practice.…”

“…The approaches followed have ranged from agronomic practices to biological control and have given rise to great scientific discovery; unfortunately, they have had limited commercial application since they have either provided only partial protection or simply are not economically affordable for a low-input field crop, as are most of the legumes that we are dealing with. In practice, the only measures that have had some commercial application for legumes, as well as most field crops, are chemical control strategies with herbicides and genetic resistance [38][39][40].…”

Molecular Characterization of a New Ecotype of Holoparasitic Plant Orobanche L. on Host Weed Xanthium spinosum L.

“…Orobanche is the most agriculturally important genera of Orobanchaceae and contains around 200 species distributed all over the world [ 3 ]. In Iran, there are 36 different Orobanche speciesthat have been recorded [ 6 ]. All plants in the genus Orobanche are root parasites that naturally attach to their host with haustoria formation to extract nutrients [ 7 , 8 ].…”

“…In Iran, as in most other regions, Orobanche aegyptiaca (Pers.) is one of the more widespread species and often attacks summer crops, especially Solanaceae (e.g., eggplant, potato, tobacco and tomato) [ 6 ]. Beside the O. aegyptiaca , other important species that are considered for research include: O. ramose (L.) Pomel (which often attacks to annual crops, such as tobacco, tomato, hemp, and cabbage), O. crenata Forssk (which grows on legume crops), O. Cumana Wallr.…”