Allelopathic effects of aqueous extracts of Avena fatua on seed germination and seedling growth of Triticum aestivum (variety GW-273).

Abstract

Wheat is an edible grain, one of the oldest and most important of the cereal crops. Though grown under a wide range of climates and soils, wheat is best adapted to temperate regions with rainfall between 30 and 90 cm. Winter and spring wheat varieties are the two major types of the crop, with the severity of the winter determining whether a winter or spring type is cultivated. Avena fatua is a wildly growing weed along with wheat and is a serious competitor (competition in terms of allelochemicals) of wheat. Whole plants of Avena fatua were collected and dried, crushed, mixed with distilled water and allowed to stand for 72 hours in water bath at 25 (±2) degrees followed by filtration using whatman's filter paper no.1. Four concentrations of different ratios were prepared for demonstration of the allelopathic effects on wheat (GW-273) seed germination. The extracts pose significant and varying allelopathic effects on seed germination and other seedling growth parameters.