Allelopathic action of parthenium and its rhizospheric soil on maize as influenced by growing conditions

Abstract

-Biosynthesis and subsequent release of allelochemicals by a plant into the environment is supposed to be influenced by its growing conditions. To ascertain what will be the allelopathic action of plant parts and rhizospheric soils of parthenium (Parthenium hysterophorus) growing at various farm locations with varied growing conditions, germination and seedling growth of maize hybrid (DK 6142) were assayed by sowing its seeds in petri plates lined with filter paper and pots filled with soil. Minimum germination percentage (30.0%), germination index (2.01), germination energy (36.3), seedling length (3.3 cm), seedling biomass (10 mg) and seedling vigor index (99.0) of maize were observed in leaf extract followed by fruit and whole plant extracts of parthenium growing near the field border. Rhizospheric soil collected underneath parthenium growing near a water channel caused maximum reductions in germination index (30.8%), germination energy (40.6%), seedling length (32.6%), seedling biomass (35.1%) and seedling vigor index (34.3%) of maize compared with that soil without any vegetation. Phytotoxic inhibitory effects of both parthenium plant and rhizospheric soil were more pronounced on maize root than its shoot growth. The higher suppressive action against germination and seedling growth of maize was probably due to higher total phenolic concentrations (6678.2 and 2549.0 mg L -1 ) and presence of phenolic compounds viz., gallic, caffeic, 4-hydroxy-3-methoxy benzoic, p-coumaric and m-coumaric acids; and ferulic, vanillic, syringic and m-coumaric acids in aqueous leaf extract of parthenium uprooted near the field border and its rhizospheric soil collected near a water channel, respectively. Keywords: allelopathy, Parthenium hysterophorus, plant bioassay, soil bioassay, Zea mays, phenolic compounds. RESUMO -

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“…2.8 0.9 NS In a column, value with different letters show significant difference (P≤0.05), EP= emergence percentage, GI= emergence index, MGT= mean emergence time, T50 = time to 50% emergence. Our results are in line with those of Safdar et al (2014) who investigated that rhizospheric soil of P. hysterophorus significantly reduced the germination of maize. In contrast to our results, Hussain et al (2011) concluded that soil collected underneath L. camara had no allelopathic effects on the test species.…”

“…All weeds except L. camara showed significant inhibitory effect on shoot and root lengths, seedling length, and seedling biomass of crops. Our results are similar to the findings of Tanveer et al (2014) and Safdar et al (2014) that showed that leaf extract of A. aspera and P. hysterophorus significantly reduced the seedling length of maize. However our findings are contradictory to the observations of Hossain and Alam (2010), Sharma et al (2005) and Ahmed et al (2007) who reported significant inhibitory effect of L. camara on the growth of agricultural crops.…”

Allelopathic Effect of Parthenium hysterophorus on Germination and Growth of Some Important Crops and Weeds of Economic Importance

“…Parthenin has been reported as a germination and radicle growth inhibitor in a variety of dicot and monocot plants. The allelochemicals released from plants may inhibit shoot/root growth and nutrient uptake, or they may attack a naturally occurring symbiotic relationship thereby destroying the plants' usable source of nutrients (Conn, 1980;Khan et al, 2005;Hassan, et al, 2008;Safdar et al, 2014). There have been previous reports of the inhibitory effects of P. hysterophorus, an invasive alien weed, on germination of many crops (Meirse and Singh, 1987;Maharjan et al, 2007;Acharya and Rahman, 1997).…”

Interference and management of parthenium: The world's most important invasive weed

“…These residues affected the growth of radish and mustard by releasing phenolics rather than decreasing the available nutrient status in the soil (Batish et al, 2005a,b). Many studies about allelopathic interference of parthenium pertain to the fresh parts or freshly collected Germination and seedling growth inhibition Srivastava et al, 1985;Singh et al, 1992;Rashid et al, 2008;Pandey et al, 2011 Rice Leaf Complete failure of seed germination Singh, 1991;Maharjan et al, 2007;Pandey et al, 2011 Johnson grass Leaf Reduced activities of amylase, invertase, dehydrogenase, nitrate reductase, peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase in germinating seeds, increase in ATPase activity, decrease in level of reducing and non-reducing sugars Pawar and Chavan, 2007 Wheat Leaf, inflorescence, stem, root Reduction in germination, root/shoot length, their dry weights, leaf area, spikelet number, and seed weight Rajan, 1973;Rao et al, 1977;Srivastava et al, 1985;Patil and Hedge, 1988;Singh, 1991;Agarwal and Anand, 1992;Oudhia, 2001;Singh et al, 2005a;Dongre and Singh, 2007;Maharjan et al, 2007;Bhawana et al, 2009;Sarika et al, 2010, Pandey et al, 2011 Leaf and root Germination and seedling growth inhibition Maharjan et al, 2007;Rashid et al, 2008;Khan et al, 2011;Pandey et al, 2011, Safdar et al, 2014 Pulses Chickpea Leaf, stem, root, inflorescence…”