Abstract
Utilization of plant allelopathic potential to control weed infestations provides an effective, cost-efficient, labor-free, and environmentally acceptable alternative to traditional chemical and mechanical methods. Conocarpus erectus, known as buttonwood, belongs to the Combretaceae family with high contents of phytochemicals and antioxidant activity. There have been no studies on the allelopathic potential of C. erectus. The present study (1) examined the allelopathic potential of C. erectus against selected weeds (Chenopodium murale and Amaranthus viridis) and crops (Solanum lycopersicum and Cucumis sativus) via investigating the growth inhibition ability of its aqueous extract, and (2) identified the potential allelochemicals found in this plant. Aqueous extracts were prepared from leaves, roots, and seeds of C. erectus by immersing the dried powder of the examined plant parts in sterile distilled water for 24 h on a shaker set to 180 rpm. The resulting filtrate was considered as 100% solution, and then dilutions were made to various concentrations (75%, 50%, and 25%). C. erectus leaves and seeds showed the highest rate of inhibition at all concentrations against Chenopodium murale and Amaranthus viridis grown in either Petri dishes or pots. Conversely, all the studied extracts did not show any toxic effects against tomato and cucumber plants grown in pots. In Petri dishes, a slight reduction in growth was observed. HPLC analysis of total phenolic contents in C. erectus methanolic extracts showed that leaves have the highest contents of gallic acid, caffeic acid, and ferulic acid (153.963, 69.135, and 39.801 ppm, respectively). The finding of the current study demonstrated that the part of the plant and the concentration of extraction have a significant effect on phytotoxicity. The positive results of this study might be used to develop environmentally-friendly herbicides for agricultural purposes.
Highlights
Introduction iationsNon-indigenous plants seriously threaten their neighboring plants.In most cases, invasive plants possess several phytotoxic compounds that hinder the germination and seedling growth of surrounding plant species at both ecosystem and species levels
The current study (1) examined the allelopathic potential of C. erectus against selected weeds (Chenopodium murale and Amaranthus viridis) and crops (Solanum lycopersicum and Cucumis sativus) via investigating the growth inhibition ability of its aqueous extract, and (2) identified the potential allelochemicals found in this plant
The results of the current study showed that leaf extracts of C. erectus plants are rich in phenolic compounds, which could indicate their allelopathy potential against weeds
Summary
Introduction iationsNon-indigenous plants (including weeds) seriously threaten their neighboring plants.In most cases, invasive plants possess several phytotoxic compounds that hinder the germination and seedling growth of surrounding plant species at both ecosystem and species levels. Non-indigenous plants (including weeds) seriously threaten their neighboring plants. Crop plants face many obstacles during their growth period, especially in the fields of hyper-arid desert areas such as Saudi Arabia, where many weeds are aggressively invading these fields due to the availability of niches, moisture, water, nutrients, and shading in these new habitats. Weeds are one of the most significant problems that plants encounter during their growing phase. Weeds compete for their resources with crops, as they emerge rapidly and cause a significant decrease in the crop yield, with losses incurring up to 34% each year and thereby affecting global crop production [1].
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