Spatial Ramifications of Dodder Infestation on Urban Ornamentals in Mombasa, Kenya

Abstract

Dodders are cosmopolitan generalist holoparasites that forage on a community of plant species ranging from shrubs, trees and herbaceous. In this study, we employ mixed method research design that involved use of questionnaires and dodder host sampling matrix. Host identification and naming was carried out by ecological Android PlantNet Plant App version 3.0.5. Respondents sample size was determined by Krejcie and Morgan sampling formula. Results show that dodder was fast spreading through spatial retrospective satellite Landsat imagery analysis. Dodder was known by the majority of respondents (97.1%) where the exploratory analysis score shows that respondents’ constituency of residence influenced their understanding of dodder (F(5, 361) = 5.329, P = 0.000). The mode of parasitism between dodder & the hosts varied as some ornamental trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants were either affected moderately or extremely. The study recommends use of biotechnological dodder control approaches through transgenic plants biotechnology and plant breeding to develop resistance towards dodder plant parasites.