GUIDELINES FOR DODDER WEED MANAGEMENT IN KENYA

Abstract

Dodder (Cuscuta spp.) comprises of parasitic annual plants belonging to the Family Custaceae. The species are sometimes included in the family Convolvulaceae (Morning Glories). Dodder infests many crops, ornamental plants, native plants, and weeds worldwide. Dodder has slender, twining or thread-like bright stems that vary from pale green to yellow or bright orange which are readily seen against the foliage of the host plants. The genus, Cuscuta which has more than 150 species, is found throughout the temperate and tropical regions of the world, with the greatest species diversity in sub-tropical and tropical regions. Cuscuta campestris (Field Dodder) is the most widely distributed, attacking a wide range of hosts leading to large economic loss on many flowering plants (Parker and Riches, 1993).