Witchweed: Kenya Strikes Back at the ‘Botanical Vampire’ Threatening Food Security
Witchweed: Kenya Strikes Back at the ‘Botanical Vampire’ Threatening Food Security
#AfricanCurrents | "Let me first explain what a parasite is. A parasite feeds on the host; Striga is a parasite. When you plant maize or sorghum seeds in Striga-endemic fields and the conditions are favorable for germination of the [Striga] seed, they produce roots. And the roots grow towards the maize or sorghum seeds. Then the Striga roots penetrate the sorghum or maize roots. Once they penetrate, they start robbing some plants of nutrients and water," Henry Sila Nzioki, plant pathologist at the Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Organization, Machakos, near Nairobi, said.
🫛Across Africa, a silent invader is crippling harvests and threatening food security. Witchweed, a parasitic plant, has plagued farms for decades. In Kenya’s drought-stricken fields, it is ravaging maize crops—until now. This invasive menace may have met its Waterloo through an unlikely source. Stay glued to this interesting edition to find out!
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