Evaluation of Western Ethiopian Sorghum Landraces for Resistance to Striga hermonthica (Delile) Benth

Abstract Purple witchweed is a hemiparasitic plant that significantly affects sorghum yields in semiarid regions. It also affects crops such as corn, millets, and rice. Developing purple witchweed-resistant sorghum varieties is an essential element in integrated purple witchweed management. This study evaluated the response of 48 sorghum genotypes to purple witchweed grown both in pots and in field conditions. Resistant varieties (Berhan and Framida) and susceptible varieties (Assosa-1, Adukara, and ETSL102967) were used as controls. The findings revealed substantial variability among the sorghum landraces in their response to purple witchweed. Purple witchweed density was less when seeds were grown with early maturing sorghum genotypes, while late-maturing genotypes were more susceptible to the weed. Notably, the ETSL102969 landrace showed strong resistance, comparable to that of Berhan. Additionally, the ETSL102970 landrace demonstrated superior resistance to purple witchweed compared to Framida. Based on these results, ETSL102969 and ETSL102970 are recommended as valuable sources of resistance for breeding programs aiming to improve sorghum resistance against purple witchweed in Ethiopia.