Re: killer weeds

E. Ann Clark, Associate Professor (aclark@plant.uoguelph.ca)
Sun, 25 Jul 1999 13:19:36 EST

Folks: "killer weeds" - is this not Striga? I seem to recall
hearing reference to how GE was somehow going to do away with Striga,
which is indeed a real curse in Africa. It is one of several
parasitic plants, which live off of other plants, and have a special
liking for certain key crop plants. The seed of Striga has evolved a
really clever scheme for germinating in response to certain chemicals
given off by only the germinating seed of target host plants (not
others). Then, it has I think 4 days in which to grow out and
contact the host roots for invasion, or else it dies. So, the seed
can stay dormant for a long time, waiting for the crop to return,
and when it does - whammo.

I think I have the story right, but what I'm unclear on is how GE is
going to kill the killer weed, particularly on the land of
subsistence farmers who don't purchase seed or other inputs anyway.
Perhaps someone can inform me? Ann

ACLARK@plant.uoguelph.ca
Dr. E. Ann Clark
Associate Professor
Crop Science
University of Guelph
Guelph, ON N1G 2W1
Phone: 519-824-4120 Ext. 2508
FAX: 519 763-8933
http://www.oac.uoguelph.ca/www/CRSC/faculty/eac.htm

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