Abstract
Studies related to the allelopathic properties of plants have aroused great interest, since species that have compounds with allelopathic activity can be used as bioherbicides in the control of weeds. In this way, the aim of this study was to evaluate the allelopathic action of Dahlstedtia araripensis on the germination and growth of Calotropis procera and Zea mays. The bioassays were prepared using two 50 g portions of leaves, stem bark and D. araripensis roots, and each part of the plant received a hot treatment (1 L of distilled water at 100 °C) and one part cold (1 L of distilled water at 25 °C). The experimental design consisted of six treatments and the control group. The variables analyzed were: Index of Emergency Speed (IES), germinability, length and occurrence of necrotic radicles. The results indicated that the extracts interfered negatively on the germinability of the seeds, mainly on those of C. procera, since all extracts significantly inhibited its germination. In the seeds of C. procera and Z. mays there was delay in IES. The results indicated that the cold and hot extracts of the distinct parts of D. araripensis affected the development of the seedlings, besides promoting root necrosis. The observed effects may be due to the presence of secondary metabolites detected in the different extracts of D. araripensis. However, further research is required to prove the performance of such compounds, as well as their isolation, for future use asnatural herbicides.
Highlights
Plants produce through their secondary metabolism, chemical substances called allelochemicals, which, when liberated in sufficient quantities in the environment, may interfere positively or negatively in the process of germination and development of other species that are around them, such phenomena is called allelopathy (Almeida, Zucoloto, Zetun, Coelho, & Sobreir, 2008)
Studies on the phytochemical prospection of plant extracts of D. araripensis showed the presence of flavonoid substances from researches with different parts of the plant (Lima, 2007; Almeida et al, 2015), corroborating with the results found in this study
Based on the results described, it is probable that the secondary metabolites of D. araripensis may be responsible for their ability to inhibit seed germination and seedling development of the test species (C. procera and Z. mays), being able to be used as natural herbicides
Summary
Plants produce through their secondary metabolism, chemical substances called allelochemicals, which, when liberated in sufficient quantities in the environment, may interfere positively or negatively in the process of germination and development of other species that are around them, such phenomena is called allelopathy (Almeida, Zucoloto, Zetun, Coelho, & Sobreir, 2008). These allelochemicals are distributed in different concentrations in the different tissues of the plant, varying throughout their life cycle (Goldfarb, Pimentel, & Pimentel, 2009). These effects being capable of influencing natural or managed ecosystems, such as agricultural systems (Manoel, Doiche, Ferrari, & Ferreira, 2009; Brito, 2010).
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