ALLELOPATHIC POTENTIAL OF RED SPRANGLETOP (Leptochloa chinensis L.) AGAINST GERMINATION AND SEEDLING GROWTH OF RICE (Oryza sativa L.)
ALLELOPATHIC POTENTIAL OF RED SPRANGLETOP (Leptochloa chinensis L.) AGAINST GERMINATION AND SEEDLING GROWTH OF RICE (Oryza sativa L.)
Muhammad Sikander Hayyat1*, Muhammad Ehsan Safdar1, Muhammad Mansoor
Javaid1
ABSTRACT
Red sprangletop (Leptochloa chinensis L.) is a problematic weed of aerobic rice (Oryza
sativa L.) that greatly reduces in yield. The laboratory studies were undertaken to confirm
allelopathic potential of its plant leachates and soil-decomposition plant residues towards
emergence and seedling growth of rice. In first experiment, aqueous extracts from various
plant parts of red sprangletop (stem, root, leaves, flower and entire plant) at their 5% (w/v)
concentration were applied to germinating rice seeds. In second experiment, soildecomposed
red sprangletop plant residues of variable concentrations (2, 4 and 6% w/w)
were used as germination media for rice. Among plant parts, red sprangletop leaves showed
maximum allelopathic effect by fully inhibiting the germination of rice while its stem could
be positioned at second situation as it caused 60, 73, 84, 13 and 86 % reductions in
germination percentage, germination index, seedling length and seedling dry biomass of
rice as compared with control, respectively. This treatment also resulted in maximum delays
in mean germination time (up to 4.80 days with SE= 0.408) and days taken to 50%
germination (up to 4.40 days with SE=0.431) of rice. The highest concentrated (6%) soildecomposed
plant residue of red sprangletop significantly reduced the germination
percentage, germination index, seedling length and seedling vigor index by 35.13, 23.26
and 41.61% compared to control. It very well may be presumed that liquid concentrates of
leave and stem soil-decomposed plant residues of 6% concentration had different kind of
allelochemicals that inhibited the germination, seedling growth and development of rice.
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June 2021
Vol. 27, Iss. 2
