Allelopathic Potential of Koelreuteria bipinnata var. integrifoliola on Germination of Three Turf Grasses

Abstract

Allelopathy is very important for the scientific disposition of garden plants. To understand the allelopathic potential of Koelreuteria bipinnata Franch. var. integrifoliola, the germination of Agrostis tenuis Sibth., Festuca arundinacea Schreb. and Lolium perenne L. were determined under laboratory conditions. The results showed that root, stem and leaf aqueous extracts of K. bipinnata var. integrifoliola had allelopathic effects on all three turf grasses, and the allelopathic activity varied according to extract concentrations, test species, and extract sources. Lower extract concentrations did not affect or promoted the germination and initial seedling growth of turf grasses, but the highest concentrations almost had inhibitory effect. The order of allelopathic potentials of the three organs on germination of these receptors was root < stem < leaf. And at the highest concentration of leaf extract, the most strongly inhibition was found in A. tenuis, followed by F. arundinaces and then L. perenne. In addition, according to gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis, the allelopathic potential compounds and their abundance in root, stem and leaf were obviously different. Therefore, the allelopathic compounds may responsible for allelopathy of K. bipinnata var. integrifoliola. These findings suggested that more attention should be paid to the leaf of K. bipinnata var. integrifoliola for the relative higher allelopathic effects.