Allopathic impact of some medicinal plants on Portulaca oleracea L. and Lepidium sativum L. seed germination: a study to find natural herbicide

Abstract

Recently by expose the health requirement as primal needs of mankind and people interested to use of organic production, investigation to find out effective natural compounds to replace of synthetic materials is increasing [1, 2, and 3]. In this context, the use of plant extracts as natural materials is a new strategy for management of weeds. In present study the allelopathic effects of aqueous and hydro-alcoholic extracts of Ruta graveolens L., Artemisia sieberi Besser, Allium sativum L., Tribulus terrestris L. and Peganum harmala L. were evaluated on Portulaca oleracea L. and Lepidium sativum at plant germination stage (pre-emergence). Percentage, germination rate (GR) and mean days to germination (MDG) obtained in 1-day intervals for 12 days. The results showed that hydro-alcoholic were effective in prevention of seed germination in compare with aqueous extract. Aqueous extract of R. graveolens with (76%), A. sieberi (89.33%) and A. sativum (44%) showed preventive effect on L. sativum seeds germination in compared with control (100%). All aqueous extract had shown allopathic effect (64–73%) on P. oleracea in Compared with control (100%). Hydro alcoholic extract of plants had shown less than 40% germinated seed corresponding to both of evaluated plants. Generally both kinds of extracts cause to decrease (GR) and increase (MDG). In conclusion T.terrestres extracts is introduce as natural compound with high allopathic effect that can be used as herbicide. However other studies are necessary to fully understand the reasons by which some medicinal plants may affect as herbicide in order to commercial application.