Abstract
Abstract Background: Waste-land weeds present around the fields exert their allelopathic influence on crops through their leaf leachates and rhizospheric soils. Objective: A study was conducted to investigate the phytotoxic action of four common waste-land weeds Parthenium hysterophorus L., Achyranthes aspera L., Lantana camara L. and Withania somnifera L. through their aqueous extracts and rhizospheric soils against winter crops Avena sativa L., Cicer arietinum L., Hordeum vulgare L. and Triticum aestivum L. Methods: Experiments were conducted in Agronomy laboratory in College of Agriculture at the University of Sargodha. In first experiment, 5% (w/v) water extract from entire plant of each weed was applied to germinating seeds of crops whereas in second experiment, crop seeds were subjected to the rhizospheric soil of each weed for germination test. Results: Results revealed that aqueous extracts of weeds were more phyto-inhibitory compared to their rhizospheric soils. Minimum germination percentage (42.5%), germination index (7.4), seedling vigor index (665.3), root length (3.27 cm), seedling length (14.15 cm) and seedling biomass (74.2 mg) of crops were recorded in response to aqueous extract of P. hysterophorus. Root growth of the crops was affected more compared to the shoot growth. Minimum germination percentage was observed in A. sativa (13.3) by the action of L. camara aqueous extract. Rhizospheric soil of L. camara and P. hysterophorus resulted in minimum germination percentages (57.5 and 58.3, respectively) and seedling vigor indices (1472.5 and 2008.4, respectively) of crops. The lowest germination (30%) and germination index (3.7) was observed for T. aestivum seeds germinated in the rhizospheric soil of W. somnifera. Among crops, A. sativa and C. arietinum were more susceptible to the aqueous extracts whereas T. aestivum to rhizospheric soils of weeds. Conclusions: It can be concluded that waste-land weeds especially P. hysterophorus and L. camara negatively affect the crops by their allelopathy.
Highlights
Weed is a plant growing at a place where it is not wanted and not intentionally sown or a plant whose virtues have not yet discovered, plants that are competitive, pernicious, persistent and interfere negatively with crops production
Plant bioassay: Data presented in Table 1 indicated that different germination parameters including germination percentage (GP), germination index (GI), mean germination time (MGT) and time to 50% germination (T50) of crops were affected significantly by water extracts of weeds
P. hysterophorus and L. camara imparted the highest inhibitory effect as aqueous extracts of these weeds resulted in significantly lower GP (42.5 and 50.8%) and GI (7.4 and 9.5), respectively in crops
Summary
Weed is a plant growing at a place where it is not wanted and not intentionally sown or a plant whose virtues have not yet discovered, plants that are competitive, pernicious, persistent and interfere negatively with crops production. Waste-land weeds in contrast to crop-land weeds, do not interfere directly with crops but remain present in crop surroundings on field borders and water channels They do not compete the crop plants but release allelochemicals into the environment adjacent to crops and supposed to hamper crop growth and yield indirectly. Some of the commonly persistent waste-land weeds present in agro-ecological conditions of Sargodha, Pakistan are Parthenium hysterophorus L., Achyranthes aspera L., Lantana camara L. and Withania somnifera L. Objective: A study was conducted to investigate the phytotoxic action of four common waste-land weeds Parthenium hysterophorus L., Achyranthes aspera L., Lantana camara L. and Withania somnifera L. through their aqueous extracts and rhizospheric soils against winter crops Avena sativa L., Cicer arietinum L., Hordeum vulgare L. and Triticum aestivum L. A. sativa and C. arietinum were more susceptible to the aqueous extracts whereas T. aestivum to rhizospheric
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