Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), grown in semiarid areas of Africa and Asia, is food source for millions of people. This crop is subject to several constraints, including Striga hermonthica, the most common parasitic plant in sorghum fields in the Sahelian and Sudanian zone. Striga causes significant damage to this crop. To control this pest, a study entitled "Evaluation of West African sorghum varieties for resistance to striga in the Sudano-Sahelian zone of Mali" was carried out in the research station of Samanko (ICRISAT). The objective of the study was to identify striga resistant and/or tolerant varieties compared to local controls and to describe the evolution of the striga population according to the development stage of these varieties. For this study, 126 varieties from several west African countries and two local varieties as controls were used. Experimental design was Alpha Lattice system. The following characteristics were measured: plants vigor of sorghum, date of 50% flowering for sorghum, number and vigor of striga at different stages of sorghum development. Results showed, that half of varieties had good to excellent vigor, 48% had intermediate vigor and only 2% of varieties had very poor vigor at emergence. Then striga resistants’ varieties were identified, namely: Kouria, Dambima White, DORADO; Lata//Ridb-8-9-1-1-bulk, SAMSORG 45, Framida, Kapaala (ICSV 111), SAMSORG 6, SURENO, NGUINTHE. The population of striga was less important in the plots of these varieties i.e., 8 to 58 plants compared to the resistant control Soumalemba in which plot the population of striga was composed by 68 plants.

Keywords : Varieties, Sorghum, West Africa, resistance, striga, sudano-sahelian.