Inhibitory Effect of Oregano and Laurel Essential Oils and Their Main Com-ponents on Seed Germination of Some Weed and Crop Species

Abstract

The essential oils from oregano (Origanum syriacum L.) and laurel (Laurus nobilis L.), and their main components, namely, carvacrol, 1,8-cineole and α-pinene, were tested to determine their inhibitory effects on the seed germinations of three different weeds [redroot amaranth (Amaranthus retroflexus L.), wild licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.), curled dock (Rumex crispus L.) and cutleaf ground-cherry (Physalis angulata L.)] and three crops [(wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), corn (Zea mays L.) and cotton (Gossypium hirsitum L.)]. Gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) analysis showed that 1,8-cineole and carvacrol were the major components of laurel and oregano essential oils, respectively. An in-vitro bioassay seed germination test showed that oregano essential oil and carvacrol completely inhibited the germination of weeds at all the concentrations ranging from 1 to 5 µl/Petri dish, while seed germination of test weeds significantly decreased with increasing of the concentrations of laurel essential oil and its main components, 1,8-cineol and α-pinene ranging from 5 to 20 µl/Petri dish. Oregano essential oil and carvacrol were totally ineffective on cotton and corn germination (except for the concentration of 5 µl/Petri dish of cavracrol), whereas they had a strong inhibitory activity against wheat seeds. On the other hand, the laurel essential oil and its main component, 1,8-cineole, showed less selective action on test crop species. It could be concluded that volatile oil from O. syriacum and its main component, cavracrol, possessed a strong inhibitory effect on germination of the weeds and was totally selective action on some crops, and could be utilized as bioherbicide for future weed management programmes.