Multifaceted approach to determine rice straw phytotoxicity

Abstract

Unharvested rice (Oryza sativa L.) straw gets incorporated into soil and interferes with the growth of the next season's crop. Water-soluble phenolics leached from straw into soil may suppress the growth of the next crop. A study was carried out to investigate (i) the effect of soil treated with rice straw (ashes of burned and unburned) leachates on seedling growth and foliar protein content of mustard (Brassica napus var. toria L.), (ii) the modification of rice straw phytotoxicity with abiotic soil, activated charcoal, and nitrogen solution, and (iii) any change in soil inorganic ions and phenolics after treatment with rice straw leachate. Maximum inhibition in root growth of mustard was observed when it was grown in soil treated with leachate prepared by using 100 g of unburned (71.1%, expt. 1; 60.2%, expt. 2) and ashes of burned straw (53.4%, expt. 1; 31.5%, expt. 2). Compared with the untreated control, an increase was observed in the total phenolic content of soil treated with straw leachate, prepared by taking 100, 80, 60, 40, and 20 g unburned straw. When soils were treated with leachate prepared by taking 100, 80, and 60 g straw, a lower level of inhibition was observed in abiotic soil compared with biotic soil. An opposite trend was observed when soil was treated with leachate prepared by taking 40 and 20 g straw. The addition of charcoal eliminated the inhibitory effects of rice straw leachate when leachates were prepared using 40 and 20 g straw. Inhibitory effects of soil treated with leachate prepared from 100 g straw on root growth of mustard were not eliminated after the addition of nitrogen solution. The present study showed that rice straw leachate interferes with seedling growth of mustard and that water-soluble phenolics play an important role in mustard seedling growth inhibition.Key words: allelopathy, rice straw, rice, mustard, phenolics.