Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
4506742 | Crop Protection | 2010 | 5 Pages |
Grain legume production in the Mediterranean area is threatened by the holoparasitic plant Orobanche crenata to which little resistance is available in affected crops. Berseem clover is a forage legume of economic importance in Eastern Mediterranean region and tropical areas. It has been suggested as a suitable trap crop for controlling O. crenata. In this work we propose its use as an inter-crop with grain legumes. We describe its allelopathic activity against germination of O. crenata seeds. Results are supported by three years of field experimentation in Egypt with a significant reduction of O. crenata infection on faba bean and pea inter-cropped with berseem clover. Mini-rhizotron experiments demonstrated the reduction of O. crenata infection on pea, lentil and chickling pea.