Abstract
BackgroundControlling weeds through allelopathy is one strategy to reduce dependency on synthetic herbicides. The plant shoots of the grass Brachiaria brizantha incorporated into the field soil were found to inhibit the growth of several plant species. We investigated the variations of allelopathic activity and allelopathic substances in B. brizantha harvested in June, October and January.ResultsAll extracts of B. brizantha obtained from June, October and January inhibited the root and shoot growth of cress, lettuce, Phleum pretense and Lolium multiflorum in a concentration dependent manner. However, the inhibitory activity of B. brizantha of June and October was greater than that of B. brizantha of January. Concentrations of three potent allelopathic active substances, (6R,9S)-3-oxo-α-ionol, (6R,9R)-3-oxo-α-ionol and 4-ketopinoresinol were also greater in B. brizantha of June and October than those in B. brizantha of January.ConclusionThe results suggest that the allelopathic activity and the levels of those allelopathic active substances are greater in B. brizantha of June and October than those in B. brizantha of January. It is possible that B. brizantha could be useful for a weed suppressive residue or soil additive materials in the variety of agricultural settings to develop sustainable agriculture options. The effectiveness of B. brizantha of June and October as a weed suppressive agent may be greater than that of January.
Highlights
Controlling weeds through allelopathy is one strategy to reduce dependency on synthetic herbicides
Green plant materials may be better than dead plant materials for a weed suppressive residue or soil additive materials
The concentrations required for 50 % growth inhibition on the roots and shoots of the test plants in the assay were determined by a logistic regression
Summary
Controlling weeds through allelopathy is one strategy to reduce dependency on synthetic herbicides. The plant shoots of the grass Brachiaria brizantha incorporated into the field soil were found to inhibit the growth of several plant species. Plant allelopathy has been investigated for long time to develop sustainable agricultural systems especially in weed control purposes (Belz 2007; Macías et al 2007). Some plant materials and residues incorporated into field soil provided excellent weed control ability due to the allelopathic active substances in those materials. Intercropping of allelopathic plants with crop plants inhibited weed germination and growth owing to their allelopathic property (Weston 1996; Narwal 1999). The plant shoots of B. brizantha incorporated into the field soil inhibited the growth of several plant species (Martins et al 2006; Souza et al 2006). Kobayashi and Kato‐Noguchi Bot Stud (2015) 56:25
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