Allelopathic Effect of Black Cherry (Prunus serotina Ehrh.) on Early Growth of White Mustard (Sinapis alba L.) and Common Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench): Is the Invader a Threat to Restoration of Fallow Lands?

Abstract

Abandoned agricultural land present in most European countries constitutes a resource of land that can be restored to agricultural production. Fallow colonization by invasive plant species contributes to changes in the course of natural secondary succession. This may modify the possibilities of returning fallow lands to agriculture, which constitutes an issue that needs to be investigated. In this study, the phytotoxic effect of invasive black cherry (Prunus serotina Ehrh.) on two crop plants commonly used for fallow land utilization, white mustard (Sinapis alba L.) and common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench), was assessed. The influence of water extracts from P. serotina litter and the soil collected under the individuals of this species was investigated. Sinapis alba was found to be more sensitive to allelochemicals released by P. serotina than F. esculentum. Litter extracts and soil with residues of P. serotina significantly inhibited both germination and growth of S. alba seedlings, estimated with length and mass of the above-ground and underground parts. In the case of F. esculentum, a negative effect of the tested extracts and soil on root mass reduction was observed. Preliminary results of our laboratory tests suggest that cultivation of white mustard should be avoided in the reclamation of fallows with black cherry.

Soil Properties of Fallow Land Invaded by Black Cherry (Padus serotina (Ehrh.) Borkh.)

“…The modification of the soil environment by vegetation occurs mainly as a result of the supply of organic matter (litter) and the secretion of biologically active compounds (allelopathic effects) [25]. Research by B ączek and Halarewicz [59] confirms the phytotoxic effect of black cherry on white mustard (Sinapis alba) and buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum), the cultivated species commonly used to restore plant production on fallow land. Nutrients released during the decomposition of organic matter can be taken up again and used by plants.…”

Bohemian Knotweed Reynoutria × bohemica Chrtek et Chrtková Seems Not to Rely Heavily on Allelopathy for Its Persistence in Invaded Sites in the Southwest Part of the Zagreb, Croatia

“…In all stages of research, we used as test plants commercially available seeds of mustard (Sinapis alba L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Both species are commonly used as test plants in allelopathy-related research [61,[67][68][69]. In all three tests, the seeds were sterilized by soaking in a 1% sodium hypochlorite solution (prepared from the commercial bleach) for 20 min and thoroughly rinsed with distilled water prior to the beginning of the tests.…”

A decade of advances in the study of buckwheat for organic farming and agroecology (2013-2023)

“…Moreover, specialized metabolites undergo continuous changes under natural conditions depending on the physical, chemical and biological conditions of the soil, which will determine their phytotoxic level. Therefore, the interaction of weeds and crops in communities is a complex combination of competition for resources and the effect of plant specialized metabolites ( Bączek and Halarewicz, 2022 ).…”