spherical, rough, and light brown (Picture 2a, b). The seed of this parasitic
flowering plant germinates on soil surface from May throughout June. Field
dodder is a thermophilic species, and its optimal temperature for germination is
30
C [24]. Dodder seeds retain vitality in soil over more than 10 years. A single
plant is able to form up to 15,000 seeds, and their abundance constitutes the main
mode of survival of that parasite in the environment [25]. Its reproduction may
also be vegetative through segmentation of its threadlike stem. Such reproduction
mode is frequent in alfalfa and clover crops after harvest and haying, which
enables its transfer from infested plots to noninfested fields [26].
3
Cuscuta Life Cycle
The steps in the life cycle of parasite plants include (1) seed germination; (2) early
development of the seedling; (3) search for a host plant, haustorium induction and
invasion of the host, and haustorium maturation; and (4) interaction with the host
plant [27, 28].
Picture 1 Flowers of field dodder (C. campestris Yunck.) (Saric-Krsmanovic 2013 – org. foto)
Picture 2 Seed of field dodder (C. campestris Yunck.) (Saric-Krsmanovic 2013 – org. foto)
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M. Sarić-Krsmanović