Striga control and improved farm productivity using crop rotation

Crop rotations with crops that are non-hosts of Striga were evaluated to reduce the Striga seed bank in the soil and increase farm productivity. Field experiments were conducted at two sites in western Kenya from 1996 to 1998 to study the effect of eight different crop rotations on Striga populations, Striga seed bank in the soil, maize yields and overall productivity of these cropping systems under low-input rainfed field conditions. A variety of crops, such as peanut, soybean, sunflower, pigeon pea showed greater economic potential than maize. The productivity of the best rotation under low soil fertility conditions was five times greater than maize mono-cropping. All crop rotation treatments reduced Striga seed numbers in the soil. Less Striga emerged if maize was planted after a two- season rotation that included pigeon pea. Crop rotation is probably one of the most effective ways to reduce Striga infestations and increase maize yields and income considering the limited resource base of small-scale subsistence farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.