Harnessing Striga-Tolerant Varieties and Enhanced Crop Nutrition: Synergistic Strategies for Managing Striga hermonthica in Maize.

Abstract

Abstract Background and aims In Ghana, maize production is currently faced with low yields due to the infestation of Striga hermonthica. As a result, this study was conducted to examine the combined effect of Striga-tolerant maize varieties and integrated nutrient management (INM) on Striga control and host performance. Methods The experiment was a factorial design laid out in a Randomized Complete Block in triplicate. In a Striga-infested field, the maize varieties (Wang-dataa and Omankwa) were evaluated under three levels of poultry manure (0, 5, and 10 t ha− 1) and four levels of ammonium sulfate (0, 30, 60, and 120 kg ha− 1). Results The ANOVA revealed that the interaction effect between the soil amendments and maize varieties significantly (p < 0.001) influenced the emergence of Striga plants and the productivity of the maize varieties. The Wang-dataa variety exhibited higher tolerance than the Omankwa variety under 10 t ha− 1 PM + 120 kg ha− 1 AS. Across the range of PM and AS applications, the highest growth and yield outputs were obtained by Wang-dataa with the application of 10 t ha− 1 PM + 120 kg ha− 1 AS. The percentage increase in grain yield for Wang-dataa and Omankwa varieties was 82 and 35%, respectively, over the control. Grain yield was positively correlated with plant height (r = 0.61*), leaf area index (0.53*), and cob weight (0.90***). Conclusion This study has established that a higher tolerance and productivity of Wang-dataa over the Omankwa variety were achieved with the highest combination rate of PM and AS under S. hermonthica infestation.