Abstract
Hesperozygis ringens L., popularly known as espanta-pulga, is a native shrub found in rocky fields in Rio Grande do Sul. Its leaves produce a lot of essential oil, which contains pulegone as a main component that may be allelopathic. The objectives of this study were to analyze the allelopathic effects of H. ringens leaf extracts on the germination and initial development of soybean seeds and to evaluate the herbicidal potential of these extracts on beggarticks (Bidens pilosa L.). The seeds were placed on paper embedded in an aqueous extract of H. ringens leaves at concentrations of 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% and maintained in a germination chamber at 25 °C and a photoperiod of 12 h. The tests included the following: germination, first germination count, germination speed index, and length and dry mass of seedlings. The experimental design was completely randomized. Based on the results, the aqueous extracts of Hesperozygis ringens leaves had a detrimental effect on the germination and seedling growth of the soybeans and beggarticks, evidencing their allelopathic action.
Highlights
In Brazil, soybean is one of the main seed crops, represents a large part of the agricultural yield, and is linked to several production chains
Productivity is mainly limited by the effects of competing with weeds that can reduce seed productivity by up to 90%, depending on the weed species, population density and genotype used (Horneburg et al, 2017; Zandoná et al, 2018), which results in the chemical control of large agricultural areas
The growing need to reduce the use of synthetic chemical inputs in agroecosystems makes studies linked to allelopathy a tool for the conservation of natural vegetation, and using allelopathy can improve the sustainability of production systems, since it is a biological alternative with a specific action that is less harmful to the environment (Tur et al, 2010)
Summary
In Brazil, soybean is one of the main seed crops, represents a large part of the agricultural yield, and is linked to several production chains. Productivity is mainly limited by the effects of competing with weeds that can reduce seed productivity by up to 90%, depending on the weed species, population density and genotype used (Horneburg et al, 2017; Zandoná et al, 2018), which results in the chemical control of large agricultural areas. The growing need to reduce the use of synthetic chemical inputs in agroecosystems makes studies linked to allelopathy a tool for the conservation of natural vegetation, and using allelopathy can improve the sustainability of production systems, since it is a biological alternative with a specific action that is less harmful to the environment (Tur et al, 2010). Allelopathy occurs from the liberation and action of compounds produced by the secondary metabolism of plants that possess the ability to inhibit the growth and germination of other species (Cruz-Silva et al, 2015)
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