## 1 Introduction  
_Striga hermorthica_ is a hemiparasite of grasses of the _Orobanchaceae_ family that affects crops in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). These species of _Striga_ attack crops, such as maize, sorghum, finger millet, rice, and pearl millet, thereby causing major annual harvest yield reductions and decreasing crop productivity [1]. It depends entirely on its host plants for nutrients and growth, which results in significant crop damage, such as wilted silk, reduced height, thin stalks, total crop loss, or death in farmlands with a heavy infestation. The infestation of the parasitic weed is particularly pronounced in the region with poor management practices, typical poor soil, and intensive farming. The most prevalent and agronomically important _Striga_ species in Sub-Saharan Africa are _Striga hermorthica_, _S. aspera_, _S. forbesii_, and _S. asiatica_[2, 3]. They parasitize a wide range of cereal crops, such as _Zea mays_, _Sorghum bicolor_, _Eleusine coracana_ L., and _Oryza_ spp. L., and _Pennisetum glaucum_ L. In addition, dicots, such as _Vigna unquiculata_ L., _Nicotiana tabucum_ L., _Vigna subterranean_ L., and _Ipoma batata_ L. are parasitized by _Striga gesenteroides_[4]. Striga spp. were identified as the main biotic constraints to the production of cereal in SSA with a significant reduction in quality and yield ranging from 30% to 90% [5; 6]. According to [PERSON] [7] and [PERSON] and Press [8], it was estimated that approximately 100 million people are faced with food insecurity due to the impacts of _Striga_, resulting in an annual economic loss of about USD 1 billion. Many studies have shown the damaging impact of competition between crops and weeds on agricultural output; however, the microbiological component is given less attention [9; 10; 11]. A wide diversity of microorganisms, including beneficial, harmful, and neutral microbes, may interact with plant roots simultaneously in the rhizosphere during plant growth and development. Meanwhile, an extensive study has been conducted to determine how disturbances affect the composition of the soil microbial population [12; 13]. Seasonal fluctuations may differ in terms of temperature, soil nutrient concentration, and rainfall. In contrast to seasons with low temperatures and soil moisture, such as spring, seasons with high temperatures and soil moisture, such as summer, enhance microbial activities and nutrient cycling [14]. Considering cultivated agricultural soils, [PERSON], et al. [15] showed that changes in environmental conditions had a significant impact on the diversity and composition of bacteria, particularly on the dominating bacterial population. In addition, it was found that Chloroflexi and Actinobacteria were significantly higher in summer, whereas Acidobacteria was significantly higher in spring [16]. It is therefore necessary to understand the effect of season on soil microorganisms in agricultural soil infested with _S. hermothica_. In addition, several researchers have reported the impact of land use types on soil properties, such as organic carbon, soil pH, and soil water content, which are closely related to the structure and diversity of microbial communities [17; 18; 19]. Grasslands for animal feed and cropland for yields are two common types of land use in agriculture. Decline in soil microbial diversity and related soils have been linked to crop management methods, such as the use of inorganic fertilizers, intense tillage, and monoculture [20]. However, various studies have revealed varied impacts of cropland and grassland management on certain microorganisms because of differences in soil characteristic functions, experimental sites, and setups [21]. Based on the results of the high-throughput sequencing, [PERSON], et al. [22] observed significant levels of \(\alpha\) diversity in the farmland for both bacteria and fungi. In another study, the abundance of Vermicrobio increased in cropland and decreased in grasslands in European soils [23]. In addition, [PERSON] et al.