Sunflower broomrape (Orobanche cumana Wallr.) is an obligate root parasite that is completely devoid of chlorophyll and feeds through special haustoria, attaching itself to sunflower roots. It causes a sharp decrease in yield and weakens crop development. Over the past 10 years, the area of land affected by broomrape in Ukraine has tripled, especially in the south and east, where some fields are almost 100% affected.
Crop losses: what do agricultural statistics show?
- 2–7 stems of the parasite per 1 m² lead to a 10–15% decrease in yield.
- 8–12 stems per 1 m² — a 20–30% drop in yield.
- 15–20 stems — a 35–50% decrease.
- 35–40 stems — a 70–85% loss of yield.
In addition, farmers risk losing 30% to 70% of their sunflower crop, according to the State Food and Consumer Service, if there are 4–9 broomrape stems per root in 1–4% of affected plants.
According to experts, up to 60% of sunflower acreage in Ukraine is affected by broomrape, resulting in at least a 30% loss of yield worldwide.
Proven methods of combating broomrape
- Selection of resistant hybrids: Clearfield® Plus, Clearfield, etc., which resist parasite races and maintain crop yield and stability.
- Selection of sunflower hybrids resistant to the germination of the parasitic plant broomrape (Stark 7+ Sumo, Tor 7+ Sumo, Avalon from Eurosem)
- Crop rotation: the use of trap crops can significantly reduce the presence of broomrape.
The effectiveness of crop rotation is confirmed by research: a three-year rotation with corn reduced broomrape attachment by 90.7% and its germination by 96.5% compared to continuous sunflower cultivation.
Ukraine’s contribution to the global fight against broomrape
Currently, Eurosem LLC is the only Ukrainian commercial company that is part of an international consortium studying sunflower broomrape. Experiments are being conducted at test sites in the Dnipropetrovsk and Poltava regions. We are contributing to the fight against the spread of this parasitic plant by collecting and studying broomrape seeds collected from resistant sunflower hybrids in order to track mutations in the genome and develop a global strategy to combat broomrape.