COST-action 849
The lack of interdisciplinary involvement has been a major factor that has impeded progress in the sustainable control of parasitic weeds. Within international research programmes on management of parasitic plants, the COST-action No.849 and entitled 'Parasitic Plant Management in Sustainable Agriculture' has been set up to allow to establish a focal point of research on Parasitic Plants in Europe.
It will run from 2001 to 2006. 17 countries are represented in the partnership.

The main objective of this actions is to increase our understanding of the interaction between parasitic plants and their hosts in order to implement sustainable means of control.
To reach this goal the Action will facilitate active interfacing among botanists, ecologists, anatomists, physiologists, biochemists, molecular biologists, breeders, plant pathologists, weed scientists, chemists and agronomists, towards informal and formal joint research projects.

Large range of plants parasitic to crops
Parasitic plants are becoming a severe constraints to Mediterranean and Tropical agriculture on major crops and the efficacy of available means to control them is minimal. By far the most economically damaging parasitic weeds are members of the genera Striga (witchweeds) and Orobanche (broomrapes). Various species of the latter are important in southern and eastern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. For example, O. crenata causes huge damage to legume crops (faba bean, lentil, pea and common vetch) in southern Europe; O. cumana threatens sunflower in southern and eastern Europe; O. minor is important in central Europe on clover; O. ramosa attacks potato, tobacco, tomato and hemp; and species such as O. foetida that cause problems in other parts of the world are also present in Europe.

More information
Web pages of EU COST849 project