Use of Sorghum and Maize Allelopathic Properties to Inhibit Germination and Growth of Wild Barley (Hordeum spontaneum)

Abstract

Herbicidal effects of aqueous extracts of two allelopathic crops, sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) and maize (Zea mays L.) were evaluated against germination and growth of wild barley. Fresh maize and sorghum plants were separated into leaves, stems and roots for vegetative stage. Tissues from each plant parts and mixture of both maize and sorghum parts were soaked in distilled water for 24 h at 24C in a lighted room to give concentrations of 5, 10 and 15 g of tissue per 100 ml of water. Our results indicated that germination were significantly reduced by extracts of all the test crops. All extracts, except that from sorghum stems and mixture of maize and sorghum stems (MixMSS), significantly reduced hypocotyl length at all concentrations when compared with the water control. Extracts from all plant parts caused a marked reduction in radicle length of wild barley seedlings, ranging between 16 and 47% when compared with the water control. Also all extracts caused emarked reduction in wild barley dry weight at all concentrations when compared with the water control. We concludes that sorghum and maize extracts have significant herbicidal effects on the germination and growth of wild barley.