ALLELOPATHIC EFFECT OF THE ESSENTIAL OIL OBTAINED FROM HYSSOP (HYSSOPUS OFFICINALIS L., FAM. LAMIACEAE).

The paper aimed to present the evaluation of the allelopathic effect of the essential oil (EO) of hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis L.) obtained from a new Romanian variety ('Catalina' variety), on seed germination and seedling growth. As biological material, seeds from two weed species were used: green foxtail (Setaria viridis), Johnson grass (Sorghum halepense) and two vegetable species: lettuce ('May King' variety) and spinach ('Matador' variety). The main compounds identified in EO were: cis-pinocamphone (34.57%), trans-pinocamphone (13.73%), along with ß-pinene (13.32%), ß-phellandrene (9.51%) and germacrene-D (5.38%). The obtained results demonstrated that EO had an allelopathic effect, inhibiting/stimulating seed germination and subsequent seedling development. However, the concentrations that showed inhibition/stimulation effect were different depending on the seed species tested. The study demonstrated possible allelopathic effects of EO from hyssop 'Cătălina', on weed and vegetable seed germination. The obtained results can be used in the future, for the development of commercial products with bioherbicidal action, but additionally, thorough research is needed regarding the mechanism of action, EO encapsulation, testing in field conditions, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]