Companion planting guide › Push–pull: maize with Desmodium and Napier grass

Push–pull: maize with Desmodium and Napier grass: does it work?

Proven Consistent benefit shown in replicated field research or long-running extension trials.

In East Africa, Desmodium between maize rows repels stemborer moths and suppresses Striga weed, while border Napier grass pulls moths away.

1. Khan Z.R. et al. (2010). Exploiting phytochemicals for developing a push–pull crop protection strategy for cereal farmers in Africa. Journal of Experimental Botany 61(15):4185.

Mechanism

Repellent volatiles (push), attractive trap plant (pull), and allelopathic root exudates against Striga.

What the research found

• Khan et al. (2010, peer-reviewed review) describe Desmodium repelling stemborer oviposition and suppressing Striga hermonthica, while Napier grass attracts moths but supports few larvae.

Caveats

Developed and tested for East African maize/sorghum pests. Not tested for US garden pests.