The allelopathy of Flaveria bidentis (L.) Kuntze, an invasive weed species

Abstract

To identify the allelopathic effect of Flaveria bidentis (L.) Kuntze (F. bidenti) on other plants, the effects of different extracts from F. bidentis on the growth of several plants were studied by bioassay. Results showed that the water extracts inhibited the growth of corn (Zea mays L.), wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), cotton (Gassypium Hirsutum L.), soybean (Glycine hispida L.), peanut (Arachi shypogaea L.), rice (Oryza sativa L.), crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis L.) and rigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus L.), with the most reactive indexes found in root and stem of cotton at −0.85 and −0.88, respectively, at a concentration of 0.2 g·mL−1. However, the water extracts accelerated the growth of rice. In addition, the reactive indexes of the extracts of petroleum ether chloroform, ethyl acetate, acet and alcohol were higher than that of the water extracts, and that of the acet extracts was the highest. The melting point of the refined acetone extract ranged from 192.5°C to 193.5°C, and its maximum absorbing wavelength was 220 nm. This extract was found to be herbicide-active and played an inhibitory role in the growth of crabgrass and rigweed at concentrations of 1000, 500, 100 and 50 mg·L−1.