Irrigation water also can spread dodder seed. Production Impact A dodder infestation can recur for many years once seeds enter the soil. A portion of the dodder seed from the soil seed bank is typically always available for germination under environmental conditions suitable for the host plant. A mature dodder plant develops a mat up to 30 feet in diameter over and around the host plant. Yield and stand reduction can occur from severe infestations.
Severe infestations can stunt, smother and kill host plants.
The moisture and density of dodder can cause harvesting and curing problems. Dodder is not considered poisonous or nutritious to livestock. The greatest concern in cultivated agriculture is typically in seed production of alfalfa and clover. The similarity in appearance and size of dodder seed to the crop seed causes difficulty in cleaning seed. The roughness of the dodder seed often is used to remove dodder from contaminated seed, but some contamination commonly remains.