Orobanche (Pokayilai
kalan)
Introduction
- Orobanche is popularly known as broomrape in English,
'Tokra' in north India, 'vakumba' in Gujarat, 'bambaku'
in Maharashtra, 'pokayilaikalan' in Tamil Nadu, 'bodu'
or 'malle' in Andhra Pradesh.
- It is a flowering parasite on tobacco roots and occurs
in all the tobacco tracts in India. It is a holoparasite
and draws is nourishment from tobacco by means of haustoria
attached to the roots of tobacco.
- The loss in the yield and quality of leaf is very
much variable from 30-70% in Tamil Nadu and 10-50% in
other states.
- Experiments conducted at CTRI, Rajahmundry, indicated
that loss in yield varied from 20-50% depending on the
time of infection and availability of soil moisture.
- In the early stages of infection, symptoms of wilting,
drooping and ribbing of leaves are observed in the early
hours.
- These symptoms are the first indication of underground
infection of tobacco roots by the parasite.
- Five to six weeks after planting, young orobanche
sprouts emerge from the soil at the base of tobacco
plants. Presence of numerous orobanche shoots around
the plants in field is the most important visible symptom.
- Plants attacked early in the season are generally
stunted showing typical wilting of leaves. Plants attacked
late in the season do not show visible symptoms of infection
but the yield and quality of leaves are reduced.
- Orobanche emerge in clusters, they are 15-45 cm tall,
pale brown or purple in colour. Often 10-15 shoots are
found attached to the roots of a single host plant.
- Of the two species reported in India, viz. Orobanche
cernua and O. indica, the former is more
serious parasite on tobacco and it is restricted to
solanaceous plants.
- Some more hosts are other families, e.g. Cannabinaceae,
Compositae, Euphorbiaccae and Tiliaceae. Further
Capsicum annuum (chillies) and Tridax procumbens
stimulated germination of orobanche seed without getting
parasitised.
- The seed is though reported to be viable for 2 years
remained dormant in the soil for atleast 13 years.
Etiology
- The causal organism, Orobanche cernua Loefl. Var.
desertorum Beck. is an annual, fleshy flowering
plant, erect, 15-45 cm high.
- The stem is more or less round, pale-brown, solitary (or in
bunches) thickened at the base, covered with scaly leaves
ending in spike, calyx with 2 narrow lobes.
- Corolla is a white tube with bluish or violet lobes stamens
4 epipetalous with lobed anthers, ovary superior, one-celled
with numerous ovules, stigma rather big and 4-lobed, fruit
is 2-valved, capsule containing numerous seeds.
- Seeds are very minute, very light, approximately 1,90,000
seeds weigh 1 gram, ovoid and reticulate in black soil. Under
normal growing conditions Orobanche completes its life cycle
in 12-14 weeks.
- Orobanche seed germinates during the second week after planting
tobacco and infects the root during third week.
- Till the end of fifth week, underground infection of Orobanche
develops into various sizes. On the sixth week, Orobanche
shoots emerge above ground.
- Flowering is completed by seventh week, seed formation by
eighth week and capsule drying by ninth week end.
- Drying off commences by tenth week, withering of stem and
dehiscence of capsules by eleventh and twelfth weeks. Studies
on the germination of Orobanche seed all round the year indicated
that November to February was favourable for maximum germination
when the minimum soil temperature varied from 19 to 22°
C.
- Germination was minimum during April to June when the soil
temperature was 25 to 31.5° C. O. cernua is a holoparasite
and the seeds germinate in presence of roots of tobacco and
other host plants to the extent of 0 to 4.6%.
- Host root exudates stimulate germination 21 days at 21°
C in the presence of vitamin Niacin (nicotinamide) and vitamin
B-6 (Pyridoxine hydrochloride) to the extent of 45.5% and
90% respectively.
- Orobanche seeds being very minute in size are produced in
enormous numbers in each capsule. When the capsule is dry,
it splits open at the top and the small dust-like seeds are
easily scattered by wind.
- They mix up with the soil and remain viable for long periods.
Irrigation and drainage water carry the seeds from one field
to another. It is also spread through the animals, man or
cultivation equipment.
- Seeds present in the soil germinate in presence of susceptible
hosts like tobacco, tomato, brinjal and safflower.
Control
- Prevention of formation of the inoculum potential form
the basis of orobanche control. Regular weekly hand pulling
of tender orobanche shoots before they set seed, has reduced
the original stand by 85% after 2 years and by 96% after 4
years.
- An alternative and equally effective method is spray drenching
the emerged Orobanche shoots at tender stage (7-10 cm height)
with Allyl alcohol at 0.1% (1g/lit) which scorches the Orobanche
shoots and they wilt and die within 48 to 72 hours after application,
whereas the host plants remain unaffected.
- However, for orobanche shoots in advanced stage or those that
appear at later stage, concentration of Allyl alcohol has
to be increased upto 0.2% (2g/lit) beyond which it becomes
phytotoxic to the host.
- Direct application of kerosine oil 3-4 drops per shoot has
given better knock down effect. Since kerosene oil is highly
toxic to host, attempts are being made to develop a safe,
easy and economic device for application.
- Combination of both the methods, viz. removal by manual labour
upto first priming of leaves followed by chemical spray is
suggested. This would be more economical depending upon the
intensity of infection.
- Soil application of Ethylene dibromide (EDB) @ 2-5ml/m in
heavy clay or light medium soil significantly reduced Orobanche
infestation.
- Incidence of orobanche was much reduced in tobacco following
jowar or gingelly or green gram in kharif but chillies though
reported to be a trap crop failed to give the same effect.
- Regarding dates of planting on the incidence of orobanche
it is found that late planting reduced the incidence of orobanche.
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Weed Management
- Weeds are generally kept under check by summer cultivation
and three or four intercultures given during period of crop
growth.
- When weeds become a problem they can be brought under control
by use of herbicides.
- In case of tobacco in general and cigarette tobacco in particular
use of chemicals which leave residue on the leaves cannot
be advocated.
- Herbicides like 2, 4-D, 2, 4, 5- T, tafazine have some adverse
effect on the chemical and physical attributes of tobacco.
Weed flora of the tobacco field
Common Name
|
Scientific Name
|
Grasses
|
Dactyloctenium aegyptium Beauv. |
Crowfoot grass
|
Cynoden dactylon (L.) Pers. |
Bermuda grass
|
Chloris barbata SW. |
Mail Kondaipul |
Panicum repens (L.) |
Injipullu |
Echinochloa colonum (L.)
Link |
Jungle grass |
|
Sedges
Nut grass |
Cyperus rotundus (L.) |
Broad leaved weeds |
Orobanche sp. |
Broom rape |
Trianthema portulacastrum
(L.) |
Carpet weed |
Digera arvensis (Forsk.) |
Thoyya kerai |
Commelina benghalensis |
Kanan Keerai |
Phyllanthus maderaspatensis
(L.) |
Melanelli |
Parthenium hysterophorus |
Congress grass |
Amaranthus viridis (L.) |
Kuppai keerai |
Solanum nigrum |
Keeri |
|
Some of the herbicides recommended for tobacco
Herbicide injury
|
1. Post emergence (Nursery)
|
Fluazifop (150 g/ha) |
When needed it can be combined with
one hand weeding. |
2. Bidi tobacco (Main field) |
Oxyfluorfen (0.5 lit/ha), Fluchloralin
(1.0 lit/ha)
|
Apply about 8 days before
transplanting combine with one inter cultivation. |
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|