SCREENING THE ALLELOPATHIC POTENTIAL OF VARIOUS WEEDS.

Allelopathy is now recognized as an interesting aspect of biological science and is gaining popularity worldwide. To investigate the allelopathic potential of weeds, an experiment was undertaken at the Department of Weed Science, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Agricultural University Peshawar, Pakistan during September 2010. Water extracts of Poa annua, Imperata cylindrica, Cirsium arvense, Datura alba and Phragmites australis were tested for their allelopathic effects against Zea mays, Avena fatua, Convolvulus arvensis, Ammi visnaga, Rumex crispus and Asphodelus tenuifolius. Experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with three replications. Data were recorded on germination, shoot weight and shoot length of the tested species. Differential response was recorded for different weeds extracts. Maize seeds produced maximum (100%) germination and consequently maximum shoot length and weight, while the weeds germination and other parameter were significantly reduced by the weeds extracts. Phragmites totally inhibited the weeds seeds germination. A. tenuifolius seeds were totally inhibited by the all the weeds extract. These results showed that allelopathic chemicals should be adapted on large scale for better management of weeds suppression in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]