Effects of Aqueous Extracts from Rice Straw on the Growth of Chinese Milk Vetch (Astragalus sinicus L.).

Growth inhibitors in rice‐straw extracts and their effects on Chinese milk vetch (Astragalus sinicus) seedlings

“…Rice‐straw is often applied to or left in a field after harvest to suppress weed growth, conserve soil moisture or enrich soil organic matter. However, aqueous extracts from rice‐straw were found to strongly inhibit the germination and seedling growth of Chinese milk vetch ( Astragalus sinicus ), a green manure crop, under both laboratory and field conditions, and the vetch population density gradually declined when sown as a succeeding crop after the cultivation of rice for a few years (Nakano & Hirai 2000). Chou et al (1981) found that aqueous extracts from mixtures of rice‐straw and soil were more than twice as phytotoxic than those from soil alone.…”