NARO Rushes to Contain Invasive Golden Dodder Weed in Teso

The Teso Sub-region is grappling with an aggressive invasion of the golden dodder weed, a parasitic vine that smothers crops, hedges, and fruit trees. To combat this agricultural threat, the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) has partnered with the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI) to roll out sensitization campaigns focusing on local communities and school children.

First making its presence felt around 2020, the golden dodder weed has wreaked havoc on citrus and fruit production in the Soroti Sub-region. The plant clings tightly to its hosts, feeding on sap and moisture while blocking vital sunlight. This process stunts normal growth, limits flowering and fruiting, and eventually causes the host plants to dry up and die.

During recent outreach events at Katine and Kamuda primary schools in Soroti District, NARO officials highlighted the role children unintentionally play in spreading the pest. Because of its striking appearance, children often pick the vine to play with, inadvertently transferring fragments to new shrubs, grass, and tree barks.

Controlling the weed presents a major challenge for local authorities. According to Soroti District agricultural officer Moses Okello Echeku, applying herbicides is ineffective because the parasite is directly fused to its host, meaning chemical treatments would also destroy the crops and trees.

Experts advise citizens, particularly students, not to handle the weed carelessly but to report sightings to parents or teachers for safe removal and destruction by burning. Even the smallest leftover fragment can regenerate quickly, making vigilance crucial to protecting household food security and farm incomes across the region.

For more details on this agricultural effort, read the original report on Daily Monitor.