Int. J. Adv. Res. Biol. Sci. (2020). 7(4): 107-115 107 International Journal of Advanced Research in Biological Sciences ISSN: 2348-8069 www.ijarbs.com DOI: 10.22192/ijarbs Coden: IJARQG(USA) Volume 7, Issue 4 -2020 Review Article The Importance of Microorganisms in Depleting Striga Seed Banks to Enhance Sorghum Productivity: A Review Mamo Bekele 1 Addis Ababa University College of Natural and Computational Science, Department of Cellular, Microbial and Molecular Biology Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research E-mail:- mamob27@gmail.com Abstract The parasitic weed Striga is a major biological constraint to cereal production including sorghum in Sub-Saharan Africa causing yield losses worth US$ 9 billion. It infests more than 50 million hectares of farmland with intensifying dissemination in Sub- Saharan Africa, which makes it one of the gravest threats to food security. Due to the life cycle of the weeds, control methods are too difficult and not feasible across the world. Knowing the biology of parasitic weeds, its systematic host infection and life cycle help to control and biological control is one of the most preferable new approach weapons for depletion of seed banks. Microorganisms such as bacterial and fungal species are more effective in controlling these biological constraints. They are used as suicidal germination, germination inhibitors and decaying seed banks, produce volatile organic compounds and challenge the viability of Striga seed banks. Indirect positive effects of those microbes are also when Plants are colonized by an astounding number of microorganisms that can have profound effects on seed germination, plant growth, development, nutrient acquisition and tolerance to (a) biotic stress factors. Hence, enriching the microbial habitat is very successful in their natural environment for the purpose of decaying parasitic seed banks. Keywords: Biocontrol, Microorganism, Sorghum, Striga, Strigolactone, 1. Introduction Weeds are one of the most biological constraints which cause yield losses and perturb food security and human welfares in the world. Among the weeds, Strata is a major constraint to cereal production; sorghum, finger millet, rice, teff, sugar canes, etc. in Sub-Saharan Africa causing yield losses worth US$ 9 billion. It infests more than 50 million hectares of farmland with intensifying dissemination in Sub- Saharan Africa, which makes it one of the gravest threats to food security (Westwood et al., 2010). This parasitic weed completes its life cycle beneath the ground more than 80 percent and emerged above the ground only for stem formation and seed setting. During the life cycle below ground, it forms haustorium, attaches and penetrates the host root cortex cells and sucking nutrients, minerals and water from it and cause final damage of host life (Ejeta, 2007). Although much research has done to control Striga weeds, the life cycle and its host interaction cause difficult to control. The seeds stay more than 20 years in the soils without germination until it recognize signals to chemical stimulated by host plant (Parker and Riches, 1993). Limited studies indicate that microorganisms associated with weed seeds can contribute to seed bank depletion through attraction to DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.22192/ijarbs.2020.07.04.011