Abstract
Allelopathic compounds have the potential to inhibit the growth and development of other organisms in a diverse manner ranging from shifting nutrients and enhancing their growth to inflicting diseases. In addition, these compounds influence seedling growth and seed germination of various crops. The goal of this study was to identify and quantify different allelochemicals in various sweet potato cultivars through high-performance liquid chromatography techniques. Selected sweet potato slips (weight: 2.0 - 2.5 grams/slip) were propagated in separate glass tubes filled with 10.0 mL distilled water. Water extract from each glass tube was collected after 2, 4, and 6 weeks after transplanting (WAP) to identify and quantify allelochemical compounds by comparing their peaks with the retention time of standards. Results show that the concentration of allelochemicals in water extract was increased from 2 to 4 WAP but remained constant in the sixth week. Quantitative analysis revealed that the amount of chlorogenic acid was higher in all sweet potato cultivars compared to other allelochemicals. Some sweet potato cultivars, A5 and A39, exhibited higher allelopathy (18.28 - 19.37 ppm/slip) and reduced the height and biomass of Palmer amaranth the most due to the presence of increased concentration of combined allelochemicals, while other cultivars produced lesser allelochemicals (10.90 ppm/slip) and did not reduce the growth of the weed species. Allelopathic sweet potato cultivars high in chlorogenic acid production can effectively suppress Palmer amaranth with minimal dependence on chemicals to manage weeds and harmful pests under sustainable agricultural system.
Highlights
Sweet potato is one of the most nutritious vegetables and is grown and consumed in many countries around the world
Based on our methodology and findings, we can conclude that the growth-inhibiting allelochemicals were successfully extracted during root propagation from various sweet potato cultivars, and the HPLC technique was useful in quantifying these allelochemicals
The hierarchical clustering of sweet potato cultivars based on their allelopathic potential against Palmer amaranth resulted in three distinct clusters
Summary
Sweet potato is one of the most nutritious vegetables and is grown and consumed in many countries around the world. It is used as an animal feed and as a source of many other beneficial products [1]. In Mississippi, 29,000 acres of sweet potato were harvested across 89 farms, with a production value of $123 million in 2017 [4]. The majority of the sweet potato farms in Mississippi are exposed to problematic weeds that cause substantial yield reduction [5] [6]. Major weeds in sweet potato are yellow nutsedge, purple nutsedge, goosegrass, common cocklebur, redroot pigweed, and Palmer amaranth [7] [8]. A yield loss of up to 90% occurs if weeds are not controlled during the initial growing period [6]
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