Abstract

Persistence of exotic parasitic weeds have increased sharply due to climate changes causing devasting losses in agriculture and moreover a notable increase is noted due to agricultural import and exports. Favourable conditions supporting the germination of these weed species if identified could pave way to reduce further incidence. Therefore, this study was conducted during 2018 and 2019 to measure the occurrence levels of Cuscuta pentagona in agricultural land throughout Jeonnam province, South Korea, and to investigate the germination and growth of C. pentagona under a range of temperatures, seeding depths, shading levels, and soil moisture conditions. Seeds of C. pentagona can remain dormant for more than one year and have the highest rates of germination (80%) when the temperature is 25°C. The germination rate of C. pentagona was highest (44-67%) when planted at depths of 0.5-1 cm. Generally, increasing the shade levels improved the C. pentagona germination rates except when shading reached 90% or more. The highest rates of germination (63%) were achieved when the plants had 75% shade conditions. C. pentagona had the highest germination rates (60-73%) when the soil saturation levels were 30-80%, but 10% germination rates were observed when the soil was completely (100%) saturated. Overall, C. pentagona has the potential to cause severe issues in Korean farmlands. Owing to the ability of the plant to adapt and flourish in harsh conditions as well as produce seeds at a prolific rate, more studies will be needed to develop more effective strategies for managing and eliminating C. pentagona and other exotic weeds.