Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.

Sci (2014) 3(4): 122-128

ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 3 Number 4 (2014) pp. 122-128

http://www.ijcmas.com

Original Research Article

Allelopathic effects of some weeds on germination and growth of
Vigna mungo (L). Hepper

G.Prasada Babu1, Vinita Hooda2, K.Audiseshamma3 and Ch. Paramageetham4*

1
Department of Botany, Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati-517 502, India
2
Department of Botany, Maharshi Dayanand Univesity, Rohtak 124 001, India
3
Department of Botany, D.K.W.College, Nellore-524003, India
4
Department of Microbiology, Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati-517 502, India
*Corresponding author

ABSTRACT

Keywords The effect of leaf leachates of Parthenium, Hyptis and Tridax on the germination
of black gram was studied . Seeds were placed in petridishes containing 0.5, 1.0
Allelopathy, and 5.0% leaf leachates of each weed extracts. The germination percentage was
Hyptis evaluated at the end of 10th day after sowing (DAS) whereas seedling growth was
saveolens, evaluated at 28th day (28 DAS). The increase in leachate concentrate was associated
Parthenium with the increased reduction of seed germination and seedling growth. All the
histerophorus, leachates at 5.0% concentration ,significantly reduced seed germination, root and
and stem length and dry matter. At 5.0% leachate concentration the greatest inhibition
Tridax of seed germination, growth and dry matter was attributed in Parthenium. The
procumbens other weeds i.e. Tridax and Hyptis are relatively safe leachates when compared to
Parthenium.

Introduction
Weeds are a menace in all crops as they from the plants will be safer and they are
compete for light , water and nutrients and biodegradable. Allelopathy holds
harbor diseases and insects (Pathipati et potentials for selective biological weed
al.,2011). High volumes of herbicide management. The phenomenon of
usage induces numerous changes in plant allelopathy refers to chemical interactions
growth like inhibition of growth, foliar between all types of plants. In this process
chlorosis, albinism and necrosis (Subba the chemical exudates or leachates
Rao and Madhulety,2005). Many released from leaves, stems or roots of a
herbicides persist in the environment and plant can inhibit the growth of a
causes biomagnifications. So there is neighboring one (Scrivanti et al.,2011).
every need to develop herbicides which Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper is commonly
are biodegradable .Herbicides developed known as black gram or urdbean. It is one
of the important crops cultivated

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extensively in India. It is a short duration aqueous extract was centrifuged at 2000

crop and considered to have been rpm for 10 min. and filtered through
domesticated in India from its wild Whatman No.1 filter paper and filtrate
ancestral form Vigna mungo (L.) Var. were diluted with distilled water to give
silvestris lukoki, (Manchal & Otoul). It 0.5%, 1.0% and 5.0% concentrations. Pure
belongs to the subgenus Ceratotropis in distilled water served as control. The
the genus Vigna (Zeven and deWet,1982). experiment consists of (1) one test crop,
Black gram is cultivated mainly for its (2) three leaf extracts, i.e, Hyptis, Tridax
seeds and forms an integral part of the and Parthenium, (3) three different
vegetarian diet in the Indian subcontinent. concentrations including control viz., 0.5,
It has the high biological value. It is an 1.0 5.0%. The experiment was repeated
important source of easily digestible high thrice.
quality of proteins. Being rich source of
protein it maintains soil fertility through The experiments were designed in
biological nitrogen fixation by some completely randomized block design with
microorganisms prevalent in its root five replications. The experiments were
nodules and thus plays vital role in done in 9.0 cm diameter Petri dishes in
sustainable agriculture. which sterile Whatman No.1 filter paper
Vigna mungo is usually sown in the late was placed. The Petri dishes were washed,
rainy season (August / September) when then were sterilized by dipping in ethyl
rainfall is high. So that ,heavy infestation alcohol. The plant seeds were surface
of weeds will occur . Because of this, the sterilized by dipping in 0.05% HgCl2
crop may be seriously damaged. The solution for 10 min and then washed in tap
common infesting weeds are Parthenium, water. Ten uniform black gram seeds were
Tridax and Hyptis. These weeds release placed per petridish on germination paper
allelochemicals which affects the plant and 5 ml extract was added in each
growth, seed germination thereby petriplate as per treatment and afterwards
influence the production. The present it was added on alternate days.
study aimed to find the allelopathic effects Germination tests were made in incubator
of Hyptis. Tridax and Parthenium on at 22°C with 70% humidity in dark.
germination and growth of Vigna mungo. Distilled water served as control. Seeds
forming 3.0 mm radicle were considered
Materials and Methods as germinated. The germination was
recorded daily upto 10 days. Seedling
Bioassays growth was measured at the end of the
experiment i.e., (28th day) Fresh and dry
The leaves were collected from the fields weights were also recorded after the
of Vigna mungo at the beginning of experiment.
flowering stages. Leaves were separated
and chopped into small pieces. The leaves Pot Culture
were oven dried at 75°C for 48 h and
ground by grinder to fine power. The dried Aqueous leaf extracts (0.0, 0.5, 1.0 and
powdered material was mixed separately 5.0%) of three weeds viz., Hyptis, Tridax
in 100 ml distilled water and the mixture and Parthenium were prepared. A plastic
was homogenized for 2 h in blender. The pots of 10 cm diameter were filled with
mixture was shaken for 24 h. then the 500 g soil mixture (clay : sand : peat in

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ratio of 3:1:1 (pH 8.1). Pots were sown was decreased with the increased
with 10 seeds of test crops and then concentrations of the all the three weed
irrigated with aqueous leaf extracts of the extracts. The leaf leachate of Parthenium
three weeds. The control pots were caused maximum suppression (32 ± 0.5) in
irrigated with distilled water. The germination of Mungbean followed by
experimental design was, Completely Tridax and Hyptis when compared to
Randomized Design (C.R.D.) with three control. Germination percentage in
replications. Fresh and Dry weight of test mungbean was significantly reduced by
crops were recorded at 28 days after 0.5% and 1.0% leaf leachates. However,
sowing. no significant reduction was recorded for
Hyptis saveolens at 0.5% and 1%. Thus,
Statistical Analysis in case of Vigna mungo, Parthenium
hysterophorus leaf extracts at 5.0%
The results were subjected to ANOVA test concentration reduce the germination
to determine the effects of treatments on percentage. So they might be inhibitors at
plant growth. Based on the ANOVA this concentration. Oudhia and
results, the means of treatments were Tripathi(1999) also observed same effects
grouped with Duncan Procedure at the 5% about Parthenium in case of wheat. The
and 1% probability level. The software stem length and root length was also
INSTAT was used to conduct all the decreased with the increasing
statistical analysis. concentration of Parthenium extracts,
when compared to control (Oudhia and
Results and Discussion Tripathi,1999). It may be due to inhibition
of cell division and cell elongation.
Recent searches indicates that allelo
chemicals were universally present in It was perhaps due to inhibitory effect of
plants and one of the most important allele chemicals of Parthenium on mineral
physio-biochemical functions of them is uptake and translocation. In case Tridax
defense against its enemies. (Gavazzi et procumbens and Hyptis it was reverse.
al.,). Although toxic metabolites are These extracts at low concentration 0.5%
distributed throughout the plant and 1.0% cause elongation both in stem
(Rice,1974), but the leaves and bark are and root length. Thus, these two plants on
their most potential sources (Bhatt et the growth of the crop cause positive
al.,1997, Bhatt and Chauhan,2000). In effect. The similar observation was made
nature water is the solvent extraction in different species with different allelo
medium (Hill et al.,2006) that s why chemicals (Shoo et al.,2007). The aqueous
aqueous extracts are used in the present leaf extracts reduced fresh and dry weights
experiment. As these chemicals are over the control (Fig. 1). Among the three
biodegradable in short time, their weeds Parthenium showed more toxic
persistence in plants or soil system will not effects than the / remaining three weed
cause problems like pesticides. extracts.

Bioassay Pot Culture

All the extracts inhibited seed germination When the different concentration of
of the test crop aqueous leaf extracts were applied in the
(Table-1). The germination percentage
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Table.1 The effects of leaf extracts of different weeds on Vigna mungo (L.) germination and growth (in Bio-assay)
Scientific Name of the Concentration of the Length of Root Length of Shoot
Sl.No. Germination (%)
Weed Extract % (cm) (cm)
1. Parthenium hysterophorus Control 98a 5.80a 19.50a
0.5 81b 2.68b 13.20b
1.0 42c 2.15b 10.50c
5.0 32c 1.60c 3.30d
2. Tridax Procumbens Control 98a 5.80d 19.50b
0.5 90a 6.77c 20.10a
1.0 80b 8.60b 21.25a
5.0 70b 9.07a 19.05ab
3. Hyptis Saveolens Control 98a 5.80c 19.50a
0.5 98a 7.45ab 17.10ab
1.0 98a 8.00a 20.10a
5.0 60b 8.90a 17.60ab
Means within same column followed by the same letter(s) are not significantly different at the 0.05% level of probability.
Table.2 The effects of aqueous leaf extracts of different weeds on Vigna mungo seed germination and growth (in Pot Culture)
Scientific Name of the Concentration of the Length of Root Length of Shoot
Sl.No. Germination (%)
Weed Extract % (cm) (cm)
1. Parthenium hysterophorus Control 98a 5.90a 20.05a
0.5 80a 2.58b 13.10b
1.0 40b 2.13b 10.80c
5.0 31b 1.58c 3.35d
2. Tridax Procumbens Control 98a 5.90d 20.05a
0.5 93a 6.80c 21.01a
1.0 84b 8.73b 21.80a
5.0 75b 9.21a 19.15b
3. Hyptis Saveolens Control 98a 5.90d 20.05a
0.5 97a 7.54c 18.16b
1.0 92c 8.10b 21.11a
5.0 60c 9.10a 18.20b
Means within same column followed by the same letter(s) are not significantly different at the 0.05% level of probability.

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pot culture inhibited the seed germination crops of Garhwal Himalaya, Journal of
(Table-2) as observed in the bio assay. The Allelopathy, 4 : 321-328.
Parthenium showed more lethal effect Bhatt, P. and Chauhan, D.S., 2000,
than the Tridax and Hyptis. In comparison Allelopathic effects of Quercus spp.
to control all the three weeds suppressed On crops of Garhwal Himalaya,
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Parthenium reduced the root growth and Dongre, P.N., Singh, A.K., Chaube, K.S.
shoot growth but it was not true for Tridax 2004, Allelopathic effects of weed leaf
and Hyptis extracts (Fig-2). The fresh and leachates on seed germination of
dry matter production was also minimum blackgram
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Gavazzi, C.,Schultz,M., Marocco, A and
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and Chauhan,2000, and Bhatt et al.,1997). extracts of hairy wetch and cowpea,
Harmful allelopathic effects of these Hort. Sci., 43 : 695-700.
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