Distribution of the parasitic plant Cuscuta australis R. Br in the Ouagadougou city, Burkina Faso

Abstract

The genus Cuscuta of the Convolvulaceae family includes about 200 species of parasitic plants without
roots and leaves called dodders. Dodders infest the stems and leaves of host plants reducing their growth
and yield. Cuscuta australis R. Br is the only dodder present in Burkina Faso. The objective of this study
is to analyze the distribution of the parasitic plant Cuscuta australis. Through prospecting inOuagadougou, the foci of C. australis were located and their geographical coordinates were recorded,
then an inventory of host plants was carried out.
The results showed that the districts of Zogona and Gounghin were the most infested with the presence of
51.67% and 50% of the host species respectively. The Tampouy and Wayalghin districts were moderately
infested with 33.33% of the species each. The lowest infestation (11.67%) was observed in Tanghin. This
reveals that C. australis is distributed in most districts of the Ouagadougou city. These results will alert
producers and decision-makers to the need to adopt appropriate control strategies to limit the spread of C.
australis and thus minimize agricultural yield losses.