Witchweeds (Striga spp.) and broomrapes (Orobanche and Phelipanche spp.) are the two most devastating root parasitic plants belonging to the family Orobanchaceae and are causing enormous crop losses throughout the world. Seeds of these root parasites will not germinate unless they are exposed to chemical stimuli, 'germination stimulants' produced by and released from plant roots. Most of the ge...

Strigolactones (SLs) trigger germination of parasitic plant seeds and hyphal branching of symbiotic arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. There is extensive structural variation in SLs and plants usually produce blends of different SLs. The structural variation among natural SLs has been shown to impact their biological activity as hyphal branching and parasitic plant seed germination stimulants. ...

Increasing garlic yield and improving bulb quality are essential aims for growers to fulfill the requirements of the market and the consumers. Two field experiments were carried out during two successive seasons; 2010/2011 and 2011/2012 at a private farm to find out the influence of some bio-stimulants i.e., ascorbic acid, dry yeast, amino acids (Ruter and Total), seaweed extract (Alga 600) and...

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) have become attractive as bio stimulants in agriculture due to plant nutrient uptake enchantment and stress tolerance [...]

The seeds of parasitic plants of the genera Striga and Orobanche will only germinate after induction by a chemical signal exuded from the roots of their host. Up to now, several of these germination stimulants have been isolated and identified in the root exudates of a series of host plants of both Orobanche and Striga spp. In most cases, the compounds were shown to be isoprenoid and belong to ...

The seeds of parasitic plants of the genera Striga and Orobanche will only germinate after induction by a chemical signal exuded from the roots of their host. Up to now, several of these germination stimulants have been isolated and identified in the root exudates of a series of host plants of both Orobanche and Striga spp. In most cases, the compounds were shown to be isoprenoid and belong to ...

Host shifts by herbivorous insects have contributed substantially to current patterns of association between insects and plants. Despite their evolutionary and agricultural interest, however, the plant traits that predispose insects to colonize some plants instead of others are poorly understood. To examine whether ancestral and novel hosts share similar chemical oviposition stimulants that wou...

Our environment constantly undergoes changes either natural or manmade affecting growth and development of all the organisms including plants. Plants are sessile in nature and therefore to counter environmental changes such as light, temperature, nutrient and water availability, pathogen, and many others; plants have evolved intricate signaling mechanisms, composed of multiple components includ...