Biocontrol against the root parasitic plant species Phelipanche ramosa, branched broomrape of tobacco

The branched orobanche, Phelipanche ramosa L., is an obligate parasitic weed that has become, in France, a major agronomic problem in tobacco crops; yield and quality losses can be total and cause growers to reduce the producing area due to lack of available healthy plots or to abandon the crop. Because chemical management is not effective, biocontrol is certainly the alternative to propose but there is currently no biological control agent on the market to meet the expectations of producers and control this parasitic plant. Only a few microorganisms or molecules, are presented as potential and promising candidates in conclusion of scientific articles but the finalization is absent. A colle…