Parasitic weed threatens food security in Masindi

Masindi: The Masindi District Agricultural Officer, Mr. Job Byaruhanga, has raised concern over the rapid spread of golden dodder, a highly invasive parasitic weed that is devastating green pastures, food crops, and trees in the region.

In an exclusive interview on Tuesday, Byaruhanga revealed that golden dodder was initially reported in Eastern Uganda but has now made its way into Masindi District at an alarming rate.

“This weed was first reported to the Ministry of Agriculture in the eastern parts of the country, and now it’s spreading rapidly in Masindi. We suspect that truck drivers may have introduced it, as it is difficult to control or destroy,” he explained.

Byaruhanga warned that if no urgent action is taken, the weed could seriously threaten the district’s food security. “We must act fast and destroy this weed as early as possible. It is spreading at a terrible speed and is consuming every green pasture, including trees and food crops. This poses a serious risk to our food supply,” he said.

He also pointed out that children are unintentionally contributing to the spread of the weed due to its attractive appearance.

“I believe the weed is being spread by school-going children. They find its bright color appealing and often pluck it, then throw it into other vegetation where it starts to grow again,” he noted.

Currently, the Ministry of Agriculture has no approved chemical control methods for golden dodder. As a result, Byaruhanga is urging residents to manually destroy the weed by cutting down and burning infected plants including the trees or crops the weed has attached itself to.

“We don’t yet have chemical solutions for this weed. That’s why we’re appealing to the public to handle it with care. Destroy it by burning the infected plant or tree, and avoid transporting it to other areas, as this can lead to further spread,” he advised.

About golden dodder

Introduced in Uganda around 1963 through imported food relief supplies, this weed is a native of the Americas, Ephrance Tumuboine, an assistant commissioner for crop protection in the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, says the parasitic plant has been spotted in Bombo, Busia, Mbale, Mbarara, Lyantonde and many other areas. It is also the cause of this death of life in the bushes and forests in Teso, Budaka and Mbale.

The weed is also decimating wild trees and those planted in compounds and gardens. It is already compromising the main source of income for the local population as it is affecting tea, coffee, mangoes and other crops.

The takeover of the green vegetation has been rapid and seemingly unstoppable. For the last four years, local media has reported an upsurge of the golden dodder in different parts of the country, including urban centres.

Reports and photos of the fast-spreading invasive weed have crept through from Busia, Butaleja, Pallisa, Luwero, Kampala and Kibuku districts, among others, where this mesh-like plant covers trees in the wild.

Although the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries appears to know of this danger, it has taken a lukewarm, laissez-faire attitude.

Efforts to control the golden dodder, Tumuboine says, have been hard to come by as the Government has struggled to keep pace with the plant’s prolific growth.

Perhaps only Kampala Capital City Authority has cared enough to massively destroy this parasite that was easily seen as widespread on many roadside trees and flowers.

Christine Abuko, a 54-year-old farmer in Anyara sub-county with at least 10 acres colonised by the plant, says: “Dodder is a very dangerous weed that has suffocated and killed many fruit trees in the area and people are still awed at how to destroy it.”

“Some of the trees planted — like guavas, oranges and mangoes — have died due to that weed coiling around them.”

Little research

“Not much research has been done on the dodder despite having spent about 60 years in the country,” explains Prof. Patrick Mucunguzi, head of the Botany department at Makerere University.

“Makerere University, too, has done little on researching more about the golden dodder. Yes, we had tried but were limited by meagre resources. So, limited funds could not enable us to go further,” he adds.

Mucunguzi says Uganda has various categories of golden dodder, which include cuscuta epilinum, with five-part pale flowers in large heads of 10-15mm across and cuscuta approximata, also known as small-seed dodder, which has five-part flowers.

Cuscuta epithymum has reddish fi laments and flowers and Cuscuta australis is known as the leafless dodder.

“Golden dodder is one of the most sparsely studied weed species in Uganda,” Mucunguzi says.

However, he adds that the human factor is partly to blame for accelerating the spread of the invasive plant as people pick it as an ornament for decorative purposes.

For example, children pick their filaments as they play and run around with them. Thus, human activity is highly to blame for spreading the golden dodder in Uganda.

On why it is a parasite, Mucunguzi says: “The carpet formed by the invasive weed on tree surfaces prevents light from reaching the leaves. Therefore, it reduces photosynthesis, the process through which trees manufacture their food.”

“The absence of the parasitic golden dodder’s natural enemies in a foreign environment expedites its fast growth rate in the bush,” Herbert Elaju, an independent advocate of forestation, says.

Medicinal value

Amazingly, golden dodder is said to have some medicinal value.

Jacob Okullo, a resident of Wera sub-county in Amuria district, says golden dodder is commonly used to treat various diseases.

Okullo’s assertions agree with an Internet search that New Vision made.

Golden dodder is used to treat urinary tract, spleen, psychiatric and hepatic disorders. It is also used for cancer, depression, eczema (atopic dermatitis) and other body pains.

For example, a 27-page article by five scientists, published in the Iranian Journal of Basic Medical Sciences, in November 2019, says various cultures have used the dodder in functional foods and traditional medicinal systems.

Additional reporting by New Vision

Do you have an advertisement or article you want to publish? Mail us at theugreports@gmail.com or WhatsApp +256757022363.