An Insect attacking Striga

Abstract

Striga is a genus of parasitic plants attacking grain crops throughout the tropical regions of the world. Where monocropping is extensively practised infection can build up to a point where grain yields become negligible. Agricultural techniques such as trapcropping¹, soil conditioning and the use of weedkillers can reduce the incidence of the parasite; but in the poorer regions of Asia and Africa where the value of the crop is low but where it remains an essential part of the diet, these techniques are for the most part impracticable.