Allelopathic Effects of Water Extracts of Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas) on Seed Germination of Ageratum conyzoides

Sustainable weed management strategies are essential to reduce chemical and labor inputs. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of water extracts from sweet potato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lamarck] on seed germination of Ageratum conyzoides L. under controlled conditions. The aqueous was produced from plant parts i.e., roots, stems, and leaves of sweet potato at concentrations of 0.025, 0.050, 0.075, and 0.100 g·mL-1. The results showed that the plant parts of sweet potato all contained allelopathic substances, which showed high-concentration inhibition and low-concentration promotion of seed germination of A. conyzoides. When the aqueous extract concentrations were 0.050, 0.075, and 0.100 g·mL-1, the germination of A. conyzoides seeds was inhibited, while the germination was promoted at a concentration of 0.025 g·mL-1. This shows that when the planting density of sweet potato is large, it can form an obvious prevention and control effect on A. conyzoides, and thus improve herbicide resistance management.

Application of Box-Behnken Design in Optimization of Allelopathic Effects of Potamogeton Pectinatus Against Microcystis Aeruginosa

Allelopathic effects of submerged macrophytes against algae are affected by many environmental factors which can only be measured one by one by traditional methods. Box-Behnken design of response surface methodology was used to optimize three environmental factors （temperature, light intensity and total dissolved solids） of allelopathic effects of Potarnogeton pectinatus against Microcystis aeruginosa at the same time. By solving the regression equation and analyzing the response surface contour plots, the optimal conditions of the relatively inhibitory rate of Microcystis aeruginosa were that the temperature was 23℃, the light intensity was 2 700 lx and the total dissolved solids were 4 415 mg/L. Under these conditions, the optimal value of relatively inhibitory rate of Microcystis aeruginosa was 81.9%. According to validation experiments, the results of analysis indicated that the experimental values fitted well with the predicted ones.

Allelopathic Effects of Eichhornia crassipes on the Growth of Microcystis aeruginosa

Algal blooms caused by eutrophication in fresh water are one of the major environmental problems in the world. Using biological methods to control algal growth, especially based on allelopathic inhibitory effects of aquatic macrophytes on phytoplankton growth, have been received world-wide attention. In this study, the allelopathic activity of the invasive macrophyte, Eichhornia crassipes （water hyacinth）, on blue-green algae, Microcystis aeruginosa （PCC7806） was investigated using coexistence assay. Our results showed that water hyacinth had disparate effects on the growth ofM~ aeruginosa （PCC7806） under different initial algal densities. Under lower initial algal density （OD650 = 0.10 and OD650 = 0.05）, the algal growth was significantly inhibited by water hyacinth （inhibition ratio was 95.6% and 97.3%, respectively）. While it was stimulated at higher initial algal densities （OD650 = 0.20）. Water hyacinth inhibited the growth of algae mainly through its root system. Culture water from water hyacinth and aqueous methanol extracts from dry roots samples also showed inhibition effects on algal growth. The inhibition effects increased as the increase of crude extract concentration, suggest that water hyacinth may excrete inhibitory substances from root system and show allelopathic inhibitory potential to the growth ofM. aeruginosa.

Study on the Allelopathic Effects of Alien Invasive Species Cenchrus echinatus on Seed Germination and Seedling Growth of Solanaceae Crops

[Objective] This study aimed to investigate the potential ecological dam- ages of alien invasive species Cenchrus echinatus. [Method] By using seed germi- nation method, the effects of different concentrations of C. echinatus aqueous extracts on seed germination and seedling growth of three Solanaceae crops were investigated. [Result] After incubated for 5 d, no significant differences were observed in germination speed indices of Lycopersicum esculentum seeds between aqueous extract groups and control groups; germination speed indices of Solarium melongena seeds were significantly reduced with the increasing concentration of Cenchrus echinatus aqueous extracts; however, Capsicum frutescens seeds in various groups were not germinated. After incubated for 7 d, root lengths of Lycopersicum esculentum seedlings were inhibited with the increasing concentration of Cenchrus echinatus aqueous extracts, while stem lengths and comprehensive allelopathic effects were promoted; germination rates of Solanum melongena seeds in various groups were all significantly lower than control groups; root length, stem length and comprehen- sive allelopathic effects in higher concentration groups were inhibited; germination rates of Capsicum frutescens seeds were significantly inhibited, and those in the highest concentration group were not generated. After incubated for 14 d, all indica- tors of Solanum melongena were significantly inhibited; various indicators of Capsicum frutescens in the highest concentration group were significantly inhibited. [Conclusion] The sensitivity of three Solanaceae crops to Cenchrus echinatus aqueous extracts presented an overall order of Solanum melongena 〉 Capsicum frutescens 〉 Lycopersicum esculentum, suggesting that Cenchrus echinatus can to some extent inhibit the growth of several crops, which should be strictly prevented and controlled in agricultural production.

Allelopathic Effects of Aqueous Extracts of Different Tissues and Rhizosphere Root of Adzuki Bean on Growth of Wheat Seedlings

Seedlings of wheat were used as receptor plants to study the allelopathic effects of Adzuki Bean aqueous extracts from different organs and rhizosphere soil at different concentrations （0, 10, 40 and 160 g/L） using sand culture of pot method. The results indicated that root aqueous extract of adzuki bean presented promotion effects at low concentrations and inhibition effects at the high concentra- tion on the growth of height and young leaf length of wheat seedlings, but inhibition effects at low concentrations and promotion effects at the high concentration on the growth of root length, the number of lateral roots and dry weigh of underground part of wheat seedlings. With the concentrations of rhizosphere soil, root, stem and leaf aqueous extracts of adzuki bean increasing, their inhibitory allelopathic effects on the growth of height and young leaf of wheat seedlings increased; the physiological parameters of wheat seedlings studied at the low concentrations of aqueous extracts, indicated that root and rhizosphere soil aqueous extracts of adzuki bean improved the activities of hyperoxid dismutase （SOD） and peroxide enzyme（POD）, but reduced the contents of chlorophyll and malonaldehyde （MDA）; the physiological parameters of wheat seedlings studied at the high concentration of aqueous extracts indicated that the leaf aqueous extract of adzuki bean inhibited root vigor, and reduced the contents of Chlorophyll and MDA, but it was found that the aqueous extract significantly improved the activities of SOD and POD; and as to the synthetic allelopathic effect （SE）, the allelopathic effects of different tissues and rhizosphere soil of adzuki bean on wheat seedlings were in order of leaf〉stem〉soil〉root.

Allelopathic Effects of Aqueous Extract of Torreya fargesii Aril on Seed Germination and Seedling Growth of Radish, Mustard and Cabbage

[Objective] This study aimed to investigate the allelopathic effects of Torreya fargesii aril. [Method] By indoor bioassay, the effects of different con-centrations （10, 20,40, 80 g/L） of aqueous extract of T. fargesii aril on seed germination rate, seedling root length, seedling height, fresh weight, chlorophyll content, malondialdehyde （MDA） content and anti oxidative enzyme activities of radish, mustard and cabbage were analyzed and compared. [ Result] Different concentrations of aqueous extract of T. fargesii aril inhibited seed germination and seedling growth of three crops, and the inhibitory effects were enhanced with the increase of concentration. Seedling height and fresh weight of three crops were improved by low concentrations of aqueous extract of T. fargesii aril and inhibited by high concentrations of aqueous extract. Overall, aqueous extract of T. fargesii aril exhibited allelopathic inhibitory effects on three crops, and the level of allelopath-ic inhibitory effects demonstrated a descending order of radish 〉 mustard 〉 cabbage. Compared with the control group, 80 g/L aqueous extract of T. fargesii aril almost significantly reduced seed germination rate, seedling root length, seedling height, fresh weight and chlorophyll content, and significantly improved MDA con-tent and antioxidative enzyme （SOD, CAT, POD） activities of radish, mustard and cabbage （P 〈 0 .0 5 ） . [ Conclusion] Aqueous extract of T. fargesii aril exhibited remarkable allelopathic inhibitory effects on seed germination of radish, mustard and cabbage, which indicated that there might be dormancy-associated germination in-hibiting allelochemicals in T. fargesii aril. This study provided theoretical basis for subsequent clarification of the mechanism of seed dormancy of T. fargesii.

Allelopathic Effects of Cedrus deodara Needle Extracts on Seed Germination and Early Growth of Three Turfgrasses

[Objectives]This study was conducted to provide reference for plant landscaping,optimization of planting structure and rational allocation of species in Cedrus deodara gardens.[Methods]With three common garden plants in northern China,Trifolium repens L.,Poa pratensis L.and Trifolium pratense L.,as receptors,the effects of four concentrations(0.025,0.05,0.075 and 0.10 g/ml)of C.deodara needle extract on seed germination and early seedling growth of the three turfgrasses were studied by the Petri dish filter paper method,using a clear water treatment(0 g/ml)as control check(CK).Data were subjected to analysis of variance(ANOVA)and multiple comparisons(Duncan)using SPSS16.0.[Results]Different concentrations of C.deodara needle extract had significant inhibitory effects on seed germination,radicle and seedling height growth of T.repens,T.pratense and P.pratensis(P<0.05),and the inhibitory effects increased with the increase of concentration.When the concentration reached 0.075 g/ml,seed germination and seedling growth of T.repens stopped,and radicle and seedling growth of T.pratense and P.pratensis also stopped.When the concentration was equal to 0.10 g/ml,germination of T.pratense and P.pratensis seeds was inhibited,and the absolute values of allelopathic index was the largest,that is,the inhibitory effects were the largest.And with the increase of concentration,the absolute value of synthetical allelopathic index also increased.The extract of C.deodara needles contained main allelochemicals leading to the scarcity of understory vegetation.[Conclusions]This study provides a theoretical basis for reasonable garden plant configuration during C.deodara greening and garden landscaping.

Allelopathic Effects of Aqueous and Ethanolic Leaves Extracts of Schinus molle L. under Different Kinds of Pruning

Secondary metabolites produced by plants can be used in popular medicine, as well they can interact with plants and other organisms, in which case they are called allelochemicals and influence the neighboring ecosystem. This work aimed to evaluate the allelopathic effects of Schinus molle L. species widely used in reforestation and urban afforestation. Therefore, leaves of S. Molle were collected from different populations located at Alfenas and Nepomuceno in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Cypselae of lettuce （Lactuca sativa L.） were germinated in biochemical oxygen demand （BOD） chamber at 25 ℃ with a photoperiod of 12 h under different extracts concentrations. The experiment was performed in factorial design （2 × 4） with two kinds of extracts （aqueous and ethanol） and four concentrations （2.5, 5, 10 and 20 mg/mL） in randomized blocks. The variables analyzed were germination （%）, germination speed index （GS1）, % of normal seedlings, root length, fresh biomass and dry biomass. Changes in the cell cycle in meristematic cells of the used model were also evaluated. Concentration-dependent effect on all parameters was observed, with the exception of dry biomass exposed to ethanol extract. The root elongation parameter was different between the extracts even in lower concentrations, thus indicating that this is the most sensitive parameter of this species. Toxic effect from S. rnolle extracts was observed in all parameters regardless the kind of pruning management or method of extraction （water or ethanol）.

Comparative Studies on the Allelopathic Effects of Ulva pertusa Kjellml, Corllina pilulifera Postl et Ruprl, and Sargassum thunbergii mertl O. Kuntze on Skeletonema costatum （Grev.）Cleve

In the present study, we evaluated the allelopathic effects of three macroalgae, namely Ulva pertusa Kjellml, Corallina pilufifera Postl et Ruprl, and Sargassum thunbergii Mertl O. Kuntze, on the growth of the microalga Skeletonema costaturn （Grev.） Creve using culture systems in which the algae coexisted. The effects of the macroalgal culture medium filtrate on S. costatum were also investigated. Moreover, isolated co-culture systems were built to confirm the existence of allelochemicals and preclude growth inhibition by direct contact. The coexistence assay data demonstrated that the growth of S. costaturn was strongly inhibited when fresh tissues, dry powder and aqueous extracts were used; the allelochemicals were lethal to S. costatum at relatively higher concentrations. The effects of the macroalgal culture medium filtrate on the microalga showed both species specificity and complexity. The inhibitory effect of fresh macroalgal tissue and culture medium filtrate on the microalga was due to the alleochemicals released by the macroalgae. The results of the present study show that the allelopathic effects of macroalgae on the microalga are complex. The present study could shed light onto the basis of the interaction between macro- and microalgae.

Allelopathic eff ects of macroalga Corallina pilulifera on the red-tide forming alga Heterosigma akashiwo under laboratory conditions

Over the past few years, harmful algal blooms （HABs）, such as red tides, have been frequently observed in coastal zones worldwide. The natural allelopathic interactions among macroalgae and red tide microalgae can alter the structure and succession of aquatic ecosystems. We investigated the influence of four environmental factors （temperature, salinity, light, and pH） on the allelopathic effects of the macroalgae Corallina pilulifera on red-tide forming Heterosigma akashiwo under laboratory conditions. Each of the factors had four levels： temperature （15, 20, 25, and 30℃）, salinity （10, 20, 30, and 40）, light （20, 100, 200 and 400 gmol/（m2.s））, and pH （5.5, 7, 8.5, and 10. Two-factor experiments were designed for each two environmental factors, with six combination treatments （temperature-salinity, temperature-light, temperature-pH, salinity-light, salinity-pH, and light-pH）. Results showed that the allelopathic effect was significantly influenced by temperature, salinity, light, and pH. As single factors, the low temperature （15 ℃）, low salinity （10）, high-intensity light （400umol/（m2.s））, and high pH （10） treatments substantially enhanced the allelopathic effect. The strongest allelopathic effect of C. pilulifera on H. akashiwo was observed under the following treatments： 15℃ and salinity of 40, 25℃ and pH 10, 25℃ with medium- to high-intensity light at 200-400 umol/（m2.s）, 400umol/（m2.s） and salinity of 10, 400 gmol/（m2·s） and pH 10, and pH 10 with a salinity of 40.

Inhibitory effects of Albizia lebbeck leaf extracts on germination and growth behavior of some popular agricultural crops

An experiment was conducted to observe the inhibitory effects of the leaf extracts derived from Albizia lebbeck （L.） Benth. On germination and growth behavior of some popular agricultural crops （receptor） of Bangladesh. Experiments were set on sterilized petridishes with a photoperiod of 24 h at room temperature of 27-30℃. The effects of the different concentrations of aqueous extracts were compared to distil water （control.）. The aqueous extracts of leaf caused significant inhibitory effect on germination, root and shoot elongation and development of lateral roots of receptor plants. Bioassays indicated that the inhibitory effect was proportional to the concentrations of the extracts and higher concentration （50%-100%） had the stronger inhibitory effect whereas the lower concentration （10%-25%） showed stimulatory effect in some cases. The study also revealed that, inhibitory effect was much pronounced in root and lateral root development rather than germination and shoot growth.

Management of Chenopodium album L. through the Allelopathic Effect of Mangifera indica L.

Chenopodium album is an invasive weed in wheat fields in Egypt. The present study indicated the potentials for utilization of MILAE （Mangifera indica leaves aqueous extract） at different concentrations （5%, 10%, 15% and 25%） to suppress the germination and growth of C. album in Petri dish experiment Results indicated that predictable degrees of inhibition in C album germination and growth rate of seedlings were accompanied with the increase in the concentration of MILAE. PL （Plumule） and RL （radicle） lengths of C. album were negatively affected as the concentration of MILAE increased and the effect was prominent at 25% extract concentration. This study recommended the use of MILAE as strong phytotoxic potential allelochemicals. an alternative bioherbicides, since its leaves extract possess

Identification of the toxic compounds produced by Sargassum thunbergii to red tide microalgae

The inhibitory effects of methanol extracts from the tissues of three macroalgal species on the growths of three marine red tide microalgae were assessed under laboratory conditions.Extracts of Sargassum thunbergii(Mertens ex Roth) Kuntz tissue had stronger inhibitory effects than those of either Sargassum pallidum(Turner) C.Agardh or Sargassum kjellmanianum Yendo on the growths of Heterosigma akashiwo(Hada) Hada,Skeletonema costatum(Grev.) Grev,and Prorocentrum micans Ehrenberg.Methanol extracts of S.thunbergii were further divided into petroleum ether,ethyl acetate,butanol,and distilled water phases by liquid-liquid fractionation.The petroleum ether and ethyl acetate fractions had strong algicidal effects on the microalgae.Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses of these two phases identified nine fatty acids,most of which were unsaturated fatty acids.In addition,pure compounds of four of the nine unsaturated fatty acids had effective concentrations below 5 mg/L.Therefore,unsaturated fatty acids are a component of the allelochemicals in S.thunbergii tissue.

Effect of UV-B irradiation on interspecific competition between Ulva pertusa and Grateloupia filicina

We report the effect of UVoB irradiation （9.6 kJ m-2 day^-） on interspecific competition between two species of macroalgae, Ulva pertusa （U） and Grateloupiafilicina （G）, in co-culture. Growth of U. pertusa and G. filicina was inhibited by UV-B irradiation in mono-culture and specific growth rate （μ） declined as a result. Interspecific competition between U. pertusa and G filicina was closely related to the initial weights when co-cultured. When initial ratios of U. pertusa （U） to G filicina （G） were U：G=I.2：I and 1：1, U. pertusa was the dominant algae. When the initial U：G ratio was 1：1.2, G. filicina was competitively dominant in the earlier stage, but U. pertusa grew faster, superseding G. filicina in the later stage. At initial ration U：G = 1：1.4, G. filicina was predominant. Under UV-B irradiation, the competitive ability of G filicina was weakened and the interspecific competitive balance favored U. pertusa, which suggests that G. filicina was more sensitive to UV-B irradiation. We also probed the potential allelopathic effects between the two species, which led to mutual growth inhibition.