Aqueous Litter Extracts of Native Grass Species Suppress Exotic Plant Species Under Allelopathic Conditions

• Published in: Journal of plant growth regulation 2023-03, Vol.42 (3), p.1665-1680
• Main Authors: Ghani, Muhammad Usman, Yuan, Hang, Tian, Mei, Kamran, Muhammad, Hou, Fujiang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agricultural development; Agriculture; Alfalfa; Allelochemicals; Allelopathy; Biomass; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Fatty acids; Flowers & plants; Germination; Grasses; Imbibition; Indigenous species; Introduced plants; Introduced species; Life Sciences; Pasture; Phenolic compounds; Phenols; Plant Anatomy/Development; Plant growth; Plant Physiology; Plant Sciences; Plant species introduction; Plants (botany); Residues; Risk reduction; Seed germination; Seedlings; Seeds; Sustainable agriculture; Sustainable development; Terpenes; Toxicity; Wheat
• ISSN: 0721-7595; 1435-8107
• DOI: 10.1007/s00344-022-10649-7

Previous pasture residues can inhibit the establishment of exotic introduced plant species by exerting allelopathic effects. Concerning this issue, present research work was conducted to investigate the allelopathic potential of dominant native grass species ( Lespedeza davurica, Stipa bungeana, and Artemisia capillaris ) on the seed germination and seedling growth of exotic plant species (alfalfa and wheat). Different concentrations (2.5%, 5%, and 10%) of residue extracts of native grass species were used in the experiment. Results indicated that the aqueous extracts of A. capillaris and S. bungeana at all concentrations significantly suppressed the seed imbibition, germination potential, germination rate, germination index, seedling height, above and belowground biomass of alfalfa seedlings. Meanwhile, L. davurica did not show any effect on germination indexes but it significantly suppressed the seedling height of alfalfa after two weeks. However, it improved the seed imbibition, seedling height, and biomass of wheat seedlings. The greatest inhibition effect was perceived by A. capillaris followed by S. bungeana extracts. To achieve sustainable agricultural development, it is important to utilize cultivation systems that take advantage of the stimulatory and inhibitory effects of allopathic plants to regulate plant growth and development and to minimize the risk of toxicity caused by allopathic plants species. Graphical Abstract Overall processes of allelopathy and how allelochemicals are derived from the aerial parts of plants and reveals that allelochemical compounds primarily contain phenolic compounds, terpenes, and fatty acids, which influence the seed germination, survival, growth, and development of other plants (e.g., crops or weeds).