Effect of Dhanoun (Cistanche phelypaea L. Cout) on the Performance of Some Cultivated Chenopodiaceous Plant Species

Abstract

Dhanoun (Cistanche phelypaea L. Cout, family Orobanchaceae) is an obligate root holoparasite on certain wild members of Chenopodiaceae, Zygophyllaceae, Tamaicaceae and Capparaceae. However, Chenopodiaceae accommodates more host plants compared to the other three families. An outdoor pot experiment was carried out to study the effect of dhanoun on four cultivated chenopodiaceous crop species, namely atriplex (Atriplex leucoclada Boiss), beet (Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris L.) , chard (Beta vulgaris subsp. cicla (L.)), spinach (Spinacia oleraceae L.).The studied growth traits (plant height, root length, biomass) of all tested crop species, except spinach, were significantly (P < 0.01%) affected by Dhanoun. The reduction in biomass of the tested crop species, as a result of the effect of the parasite, ranged from 0.0% with spinach to 52.0 % with atriplex. Thus, based on their general performance, under the influence of Dhanoun, the tested crop plants could be ranked as follows: atriplex > beet > chard > spinach. The damage caused by the parasite (Dhanoun) appears to be of a greater magnitude on atriplex followed by beet, and a lesser magnitude on chard. However spinach was not affected by the parasite. In this study, dhanoun was found to attack only biennial and perennial host plants, it seldom attacks annual ones.