Allelopathic Effects of Aqueous Extract from Thymus capitatus L. on Seed Germination and Seedling Growth of Ceratonia siliqua L

Abstract

This study was carried out to determine the effects of allelopathic potentials of aqueous extract of Thymus capitatus L. aerial parts on seed germination and early growth seedling of Ceratonia siliqua L.. Thymus capitatus L. aerial parts were collected from Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar, Libya and collected aerial parts were dried and powdered. The treatments included 100%, 50% and 25% along with water as control. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed. Differences between the treatment means were compared using LSD test at 0.05% probability level. The result found the effect of different aqueous extract concentrations of Thymus capitatus L. were significance on Seed germination of Ceratonia siliqua L. The highest and lowest seed germination was belonged to control and 100 % extract respectively. The aqueous extract concentrations of Thymus capitatus L. showed a significant inhibition of number of leaves of Ceratonia siliqua L. in all the treatments compared to control. The LSD test showed that shoot length at 25%, 50% and 100% extract concentration was not significantly different from control whereas at the same concentrations root length was significantly different from the control. That may explain the law survival of Ceratonia siliqua L. seedlings in regions where Thymus capitatus L. grow. However, further studies are required to investigate other factors.