Allelopathic Effect of Leaf Extracts of Some Common Weeds on Seed Germination Characteristics and Growth of Oryza sativa L

Author: Iftikhar Ahmed Malik and Harvinder Kaur Sidhu

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Abstract

The present study was conducted to investigate the allelopathic effects of Chenopodium album, Cannabis sativa and Solanum nigrum on seed germination and seedling growth of basmati rice (Oryza sativa L.). Aqueous leaf extracts of weeds at 50% conc. and 100% conc. were applied to determine their effect on seed germination characteristics, seedling length and seedling dry weight of test plant under in vitro conditions. In field experiment, 5g/kg and 10g/kg of the weeds’ leaf powder was used to study the above mentioned parameters along with the leaf surface area and chlorophyll content. The aqueous extracts of the weeds under study caused inhibitory effects on seed germination characteristics, seedling length and seedling dry weight, leaf surface area and chlorophyll content of basmati IR-8 variety of rice plant. The leaf extract of Chenopodium album had the most inhibitory effect on test plant while that of solanum nigrum produced least effects. Interestingly, the effects of Cannabis sativa were the most varied and found to be changed with the growth matrix. Hot water extracts of the weeds were found to be more effective than cold water extracts and inhibitory effects was linearly proportional to the conc. of the weeds as it increased with the increase in the conc. of the weeds

Keywords

Allelopathy, weeds, seed germination characteristics and growth

Conclusion

To conclude, Chenopodium album inhibited the germination and growth of rice variety IR-8 the most followed by Solanum nigrum. These findings are significant as inhibition of germination and growth translates into decreased productivity. Hence, such weed-crop interactions need to be taken into consideration also. The results of petridish and pot experiments varied for Cannabis sativa. Thus, it is of vital importance to contradict any in vitro findings with subsequent greenhouse and field trials which take into account diverse natural conditions which plants face while growing without human interference. Furthermore, there is need to work on the allelopathic stress of such species under varied climatic and soil conditions and also to quantify the allelopathic compounds

References

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How to cite this article

Iftikhar Ahmed Malik and Harvinder Kaur Sidhu (2024). Allelopathic Effect of Leaf Extracts of Some Common Weeds on Seed Germination Characteristics and Growth of Oryza sativa L.. Biological Forum – An International Journal, 16(7): 208-215