Harnessing Striga-Tolerant Varieties and Enhanced Crop Nutrition: Synergistic Strategies for Managing Striga hermonthica in Maize.

Abstract Background and aims In Ghana, maize production is currently faced with low yields due to the infestation of Striga hermonthica. As a result, this study was conducted to examine the combined effect of Striga-tolerant maize varieties and integrated nutrient management (INM) on Striga control and host performance. Methods The experiment was a factorial design laid out in a Randomized Complete Block in triplicate. In a Striga-infested field, the maize varieties (Wang-dataa and Omankwa) were evaluated under three levels of poultry manure (0, 5, and 10 t ha− 1) and four levels of ammonium sulfate (0, 30, 60, and 120 kg ha− 1). Results The ANOVA revealed that the interaction effect between the soil amendments and maize varieties significantly (p < 0.001) influenced the emergence of Striga plants and the productivity of the maize varieties. The Wang-dataa variety exhibited higher tolerance than the Omankwa variety under 10 t ha− 1 PM + 120 kg ha− 1 AS. Across the range of PM and AS applications, the highest growth and yield outputs were obtained by Wang-dataa with the application of 10 t ha− 1 PM + 120 kg ha− 1 AS. The percentage increase in grain yield for Wang-dataa and Omankwa varieties was 82 and 35%, respectively, over the control. Grain yield was positively correlated with plant height (r = 0.61*), leaf area index (0.53*), and cob weight (0.90***). Conclusion This study has established that a higher tolerance and productivity of Wang-dataa over the Omankwa variety were achieved with the highest combination rate of PM and AS under S. hermonthica infestation.