https://en.sputniknews.africa/20250520/witchweed-kenya-strikes-back-at-the-botanical-vampire-threatening-food-security-1073293593.html
Witchweed: Kenya Strikes Back at the ‘Botanical Vampire’ Threatening Food Security
Witchweed: Kenya Strikes Back at the ‘Botanical Vampire’ Threatening Food Security
Sputnik Africa
Across Africa, a silent invader is crippling harvests and threatening food security. Witchweed, a parasitic plant, has plagued farms for decades. In Kenya’s... 20.05.2025, Sputnik Africa
2025-05-20T15:49+0200
2025-05-20T15:49+0200
2025-05-20T15:49+0200
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Witchweed: Kenya Strikes Back at the ‘Botanical Vampire’ Threatening Food Security
Sputnik Africa
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.
Achieving food security is a critical global goal, and African governments are increasingly turning to innovative agricultural methods to strengthen resilience against climate change and other threats. Nevertheless, parasitic weeds like Striga—known as witchweed—pose a formidable challenge. Infesting nearly three-quarters of farms in western Kenya by 2009, Striga drains vital nutrients from maize crops, deepening the food crisis for smallholder farmers.A breakthrough, however, is unfolding in Kenya’s farmlands where researchers have deployed a natural fungus to fight back. By coating maize seeds with this fungus, farmers have seen crop yields surge by as much as 88 percent. Still, challenges remain as commercial seed treatments and regulatory delays slow the technology’s reach, underscoring that innovation must align with rural realities to secure Africa’s agricultural future.African Currents spoke with Kenyan plant pathologist Henry Sila Nzioki of the Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Organization, Machakos, near Nairobi. Leading a breakthrough using the natural fungus Fusarium oxysporum to target witchweed, he reveals the science, motivation, and potential impact for millions of smallholder farmers across Africa.To find out what else our guest had to say, tune in to the African Currents podcast, brought to you by Sputnik Africa.In addition to the website, you can also catch our episodes on Telegram.► You can also listen to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Deezer, Pocket Casts, Afripods, Podcast Addict.► Check out all the episodes of African Currents.
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Witchweed: Kenya Strikes Back at the ‘Botanical Vampire’ Threatening Food Security
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.
Achieving food security is a critical global goal, and African governments are increasingly turning to innovative agricultural methods to strengthen resilience against climate change and other threats.
Nevertheless, parasitic weeds like Striga—known as witchweed—pose a formidable challenge. Infesting nearly three-quarters of farms in western Kenya by 2009, Striga drains vital nutrients from maize crops, deepening the food crisis for smallholder farmers.
A breakthrough, however, is unfolding in Kenya’s farmlands where researchers have deployed a natural fungus to fight back. By coating maize seeds with this fungus, farmers have seen crop yields surge by as much as 88 percent. Still, challenges remain as commercial seed treatments and regulatory delays slow the technology’s reach, underscoring that innovation must align with rural realities to secure Africa’s agricultural future.
African Currents spoke with Kenyan plant pathologist Henry Sila Nzioki of the Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Organization, Machakos, near Nairobi. Leading a breakthrough using the natural fungus Fusarium oxysporum to target witchweed, he reveals the science, motivation, and potential impact for millions of smallholder farmers across Africa.
"As the Striga seeds germinate, 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 [...]. We have many pathogens which attack Striga. Now, if you look at the Fusarium oxysporum, it is host-specific. That means it only attacks Striga. It causes a diseases on Striga. So now using this pathogen, we can be able to do what? To strike. And this fungus does not attack maize. It only attacks Striga [...]. Farmers abandon their fields because they are bewitched by Striga because of crop failure. But now this fungus is adopted, Africa can achieve food security," Nzioki explained.
To find out what else our guest had to say, tune in to the African Currents podcast, brought to you by Sputnik Africa.
In addition to the website, you can also catch our episodes on
Telegram.► Check out all the episodes of African Currents. 
