Genetic Diversity of a Parasitic Weed, Striga hermonthica, on Sorghum and Pearl Millet in MaliM CEstepauthorT A VanMourikauthorPMuthauthorDGuindoauthorH KParziesauthorO AKoitaauthorEWeltzienauthorJ LBennetzenauthorEleven populations of witchweed, Striga hermonthica, were collected in four regions of Mali and investigated with 12 microsatellite markers. Extensive genetic diversity was observed, with most plants heterozygous for most markers. Allelic diversity was broadly distributed across populations with little genetic differentiation and large amounts of gene flow. Nearby fields of pearl millet and sorghum were found to have indistinguishable witchweed populations. Some population structure was apparent, but did not correlate with the local environment or host genotype, suggesting that seed transportation or other human-driven variables act to differentiate central Malian S. hermonthica populations from southern Malian populations.MilletsSorghum2011Article