Wageningen University & Research

Wageningen University & Research is jointly responsible for finding agroecological ways to raise soil levels of microbiome-derived volatile organic compounds (mVOCs) that kill or inhibit germination of Striga seeds. Applications could include organic amendments (with or without elemental sulphur), plant derivatives or companion crops (or combinations of them) and these need to be tested on their efficacy in terms of Striga control, but also on their effects on crop performance and on feasibility for smallholder farmers. 

From Wageningen University & Research the following people are involved:

Jonne Rodenburg – Principle Investigator

Jonne is an Associate Professor of Weed Ecology at WUR and leader of PROMISE WP1

James Ajal – Postdoctoral Researcher

James is mainly involved in WP1 of PROMISE II.  He is investigating a range of organic substrates for their potential to produce Striga-suppressive volatile organic compounds. His role involves testing these Striga-suppressive effects of the organic substrates in a series of greenhouse studies, thereafter, in sorghum, rice and millet fields in Senegal and Ethiopia.