Allelopathic activity of the leaf powder of Ficus nitida on the growth and yield of Vicia faba and associated weeds

Abstract

Background: Faba bean weeds are considered as serious pests that lead to pronounced damages to its agricultural production since they consume water and nutrients from the soil, reducing not only the yield but also the quality of the crops. So, the aim of this investigation is to control the weeds associated with faba bean plants. Materials/methods: Two pot experiments were carried out during two successive winter seasons of 2016/2017 and 2017/2018 in the greenhouse of the National Research Centre, Dokki, Giza, Egypt. Treatments were applied by incorporating the dry leaf powder of Ficus nitida to the soil surface of pots at the rate of (0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 g/kg soil). Results: All concentrations used pronouncedly decreased the fresh and dry weight of both Phalaris minor and Malva parviflora. On the other hand, Vicia faba growth as well as its yield and yield components were increased with most concentrations used as compared to their mixed controls. Treatments of 20, 30, and 40 g/kg soil, from F. nitida leaf powder, respectively recorded the highest increases in the most growth characters of V. faba with both weeds (P. minor and M. parviflora) at the two growth ages when compared to the healthy control. Also, the best results in all V. faba yield components were recorded with 20 g/kg soil of F. nitida treatment. Conclusion: The results of the present study indicate the possibility of using the allelopathic activity of the leaf powder of Ficus nitida as a selective bioherbicide for controlling annual weeds accompanied Vicia faba plants.

Allelopathic Potential of Nicotiana glauca Aqueous Extract on Seed Germination and Seedlings of Acacia gerrardii

“…Several different compounds enriched with allelopathic effects are produced in different invasive plant parts and tissues, including leaves, stems, and roots; however, their amount and accessibility vary from one plant part to another [52]. Leaves are main sources of influential allelopathic chemicals, while roots release less effective chemicals or phytotoxins [53]. The effects are exacerbated and become more pronounced with increasing concentrations (Tables 1 and 2, and Figures 1-3).…”

Evaluation of Ficus nitida Allelopathic Potential and the Most Efficient Application Method for Controlling Weeds Associated with Sunflower Plant

“…et al 2022). The leaves of F. nitida have been proven to have allelopathic efficiency in controlling weeds (El-Masry et al 2019). Thus, the present study aimed to illustrate the herbicidal effects of allelopathic F. nitida leaves and asses the most efficient application method.…”

Phytotoxicity activities and chemical composition of the seed essential oil of Monodora myristica

“…They act as secondary hosts for pests, outgrow crop plants and produce toxic substances that weaken the growth of the associated crops. This increases labor and other agricultural expenditures, which consequently leads to reductions in the quantity and quality of agricultural produce (Zimdahl 2018;El-Masry et al, 2019). Weeds have been the major threat to agriculture, as weed management practices significantly cost about 40 billion dollars annually (Girdhar et al, 2014a;Abouziena & Haggag, 2016;Prakash & Kumar, 2017).…”

“…Various herbicides, such as drug products, are derived from NPs (Dayan & Duke, 2014). Numerous plants are found to produce secondary metabolites known as allochemicals, which have selective herbicidal properties (El-Masry et al, 2019;El-Rokiek et al, 2014;El-Wakeel et al, 2019a;El-Wakeel et al, 2019b). This harmful or beneficial effect is known as the allopathy phenomenon (Reigosa et al, 2006).…”