EVALUATION OF OPEN POLLINATED MAIZE VARIETIES FOR RESISTANCE/TOLERANCE TO Striga hermonthica Del. Benth AT MOKWA SOUTHERN GUINEA SAVANNAH OF NIGERIA

Three trials were conducted on the College of Agriculture experimental field which was highly anduniformly infested by Striga at Mokwa (latitude 09o 18'N and longitude 05o 04'E) in the SouthernGuinea Savanna agro- ecological zone of Nigeria during 2004, 2005 and 2006 wet seasons. The studywas conducted to evaluate fifteen maize genotypes consisting of eleven improved, open- pollinatedStriga tolerant varieties, a susceptible 8338-1 and tolerant hybrids 9022-13, an improved recommendedopen pollinated variety and a local selection (Mokwa Dzurugi) for their reaction to Striga hermonthica.The treatments were laid out in a randomized complete block design and replicated fourtimes. Among the varieties tested, TZL Comp.1Syn Y-1F2, Cam, 1 STR – 1 and hybrid 9022-13 consistentlyresulted in significantly lower Striga emergence and crop syndrome reaction to Striga parasitismcompared to all the other varieties including STR genotypes in 2004 and 2005 and of very lowvalues of the parameters in 2006. The varieties also gave higher grain yield comparable to most oftolerant varieties evaluated. Under Striga infestation, maize grain yields of var. TZL Comp. 1 Syn Y-1F2 were 2.94, 3.04 and 2.93 times than those of the recommended TZB- STR (1015kg/ha, 989kg/haand 993kg/ha) in 2004, 2005 and 2006, respectively. The corresponding values for the other promisingvariety, Cam- 1STR-1 were 2.93, 3.05 and 2.89 times higher than TZB STR in 2004, 2005 and 2006respectively. The local selection, Mokwa Dzurugi also exhibited good performance with respect toStriga and maize parameters and could therefore be used in the breeding programme for Striga resistance.