The Effect of Some Traps Crops on Broomrape (Orobanche aegyptiaca Pers.) Damage Reduction in Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.)

A pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of some trap crop on Egyptian broomrape damage reduction in tomato. A randomized complete block design with four replications was carried out in Agronomy Faculty, University of Tehran, Karaj, during 2008 & 2009. In the first year, seven trap crops including Egyptian clover, sesame, mungbean common Flax, garlic, cotton, and black-eyed pea were cultivated in pots and harvested at the end of the season. In the next year tomato transplants were cultivated in the same pots and after two months, pots were evaluated. Shoot and root weight of tomato, weight and number of tomato fruit, stem and tuber dry weight of broom rape, number of stems and tubers of broomrape were measured. Results showed that sesame, common flax and Black-eyed pea had the most significant decrease in broomrape dry weight separately 98.6, 75.2, and 74.4 percent and number of broomrape stems respectively 100, 83.5 and 50.9 compared to without trap crop treatment and subsequently caused increasing in tomato yield. These plants have the great potential to broomrape damage reduction and can be used in rotation in infested soils with broomrape seeds.