Genetics of Tolerance to Striga hermonthica: Development of Maize Hybrids in the Tropical Savanna

Breeding for tolerance/ resistance to Striga hermonthica (Del.) Benth offers a viable option for the management of this weed. Such a step will be compatible with the low-cost input requirement of the resource-poor farmers. This book provides an evaluation of gene action of some selected open pollinated maize varieties (OPVs) and their hybrids for grain yield and other agronomic characters in Striga endemic and non-endemic environments of the southern Guinea savanna of Nigeria. The most tolerant parents and hybrids identified under S. hermonthica environment could represent new source of Striga tolerant genes, that could be used as either variety per se or in future breeding for the development of S. hermonthica tolerant varieties in the Tropical savanna. This book will be very useful to Agronomists, Weed and Plant Scientists as well as Plant Breeders, Biotechnologists, Pathologists, Physiologists and Geneticists.

He obtained B.Sc. (Agriculture) from the University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria, M.Sc. and Ph.D. Agronomy from the University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria, respectively. He is an Associate Professor, Plant Genetics and Biotechnology and the Dean of the College of Natural and Applied Sciences, Fountain University, Osogbo, Nigeria.