Sains Malaysiana 44(2)(2015): 269–274

Assessment of the Potential Allelopathic Effects of Pennisetum purpureum Schumach. on the Germination and Growth of Eleusine indica (L.) Gaertn.

(Penilaian Potensi Kesan Alelopati Pennisetum purpureum Schumach. ke atas

Percambahan dan Pertumbuhan Eleusine indica (L.) Gaertn.)

B.S. ISMAIL¹*, P.W. TAN¹ & T.S. CHUAH²

¹School of Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor D.E. Malaysia

²Department of Agrotechnology, Faculty of Agrotechnology and Food Science

University Malaysia Terengganu (UMT), 21030 Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu D.I. Malaysia

Received: 17 May 2013/Accepted: 8 August 2014

ABSTRACT

Pennisetum purpureum Schumach. is a weed that is currently spreading rapidly to many parts of the world particularly tropical countries. The abundance of P. purpureum in Malaysia is presently a serious problem. A study was conducted to investigate and evaluate the potential allelopathic effects of P. purpureum on Eleusine indica L. Gaertn. using the aqueous leaf extract and plant debris incorporated into the soil. Low concentrations of the P. purpureum aqueous extract (2%) and debris incorporated into the soil (25/500 g) inhibited germination and seedling growth of the bioassay species (E. indica) by >80%. The responses of the bioassay species to the aqueous extract and debris-incorporated soil were concentration dependent. The aqueous extract had higher total phenolic content compared to that from the debris incorporated soil, indicating the presence of certain phytotoxic compounds in the leaf debris and leaf extracts.

Keywords: Allelopathy; Eleusine indica; Pennisetum purpureum; phenolics

ABSTRAK

Pennisetum purpureum Schumach. adalah rumpai yang sedang merebak dengan cepat ke kebanyakan bahagian dunia terutamanya negara-negara tropika. Lambakan P. purpureum di Malaysia kini telah menjadi masalah yang serius. Satu kajian telah dijalankan untuk mengkaji dan menilai potensi kesan alelopati P. purpureum terhadap Eleusine indica L. Gaertn. dengan menggunakan ekstrak akues dan sarap yang digaul ke dalam tanah. Kepekatan akues ekstrak yang rendah (2%) dan sarap P. purpureum dalam tanah (25/500 g) didapati merencat percambahan dan pertumbuhan anak benih spesies bioasai (E. indica) pada >80%. Respon spesies bioasai untuk ekstrak akueus dan sarap yang digaul dalam tanah adalah bergantung kepada kepekatan. Ekstrak akues menunjukkan jumlah kandungan fenolik yang lebih tinggi berbanding dengan sarap yang digaul dalam tanah dan ini menunjukkan kehadiran sebatian fitotoksik tertentu dalam sarap dan ekstrak daun.

Kata kunci: Alelopati; Eleusine indica; fenolik; Pennisetum purpureum

REFERENCES

Adler, M.J. & Chase, C.A. 2007. Comparison of the allelopathic potential of leguminous summer cover crops: Cowpea, sunn hemp, and velvetbean. HortScience 42(2): 289-293.

Baki, H.B. 2004. Invasive weed species in Malaysian agro-ecosystems: Species, impacts and management. Malaysian Journal of Science 23: 1-42.

Batish, D.R., Lavanya, K., Singh, H.P. & Kohli, R.K. 2007. Root mediated allelopathic interference of nettle-leaved goosefoot (Chenopodium murale) on wheat (Triticum aestivum). Journal Agronomy Crop Science 193: 37-44.

Batish, D.R., Singh, H.P., Pandler, J.K., Arora, V. & Kohli, R.K. 2002. Phytotoxic effect of Parthenium residues on the selected soil properties and growth of chickpea and radish. Weed Biology Management 2: 73-78.

Blum, U., Shafer, S.R. & Lehman, M.E. 1999. Evidence for inhibitory allelopathic interactions involving phenolic acids in field soils: Concepts vs. an experimental model. Critical Review Plant Sciences 18: 673-693.

Callaway, R.M. & Ridenour, W.M. 2004. Novel Weapon: Invasive success and the evolution on increased competition ability. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 2: 436-443.

Callaway, R.M. & Aschehong, E.T. 2000. Invasive plant versus their new and old neighbours: A mechanism for exotic invasion. Science 290: 521-523.

Chuah, T.S., Low, V.L., Cha, T.S. & Ismail, S.B. 2010. Initial report of glufosinate and paraquat multiple resistance that evolved in a biotype of goosegrass (Eleusine indica) in Malaysia. Weed Biology and Management 10: 229-333.

Coder, K.D. 1998. Potential Allelopathy in Different Tree Species. University of Georgia School of Forest Resources Extension Publication FOR99-003. pp.1-5.

Faravani, M., Baki, H.B. & Khalijah, A. 2008. Assessment of allelopathic potential of Melastoma malabathricum L. on Radish raphanus sativus L. and barnyard grass (Echinochloa crus-galli ). Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj- Napoca36(2): 54-60.

Fong, K.J. 2007. Allelopathic effects of Pennisetum purpureumon growth of selected weed and crop species. B.Sc. Thesis. Department of Biological Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Malaysia Terengganu (unpublished).

Gholinejad, B., Farajollahi, A., Pouzesh, H. & Jaffari, H.J. 2012. Comparative allelopathic effect of Thymus kotschyanuson germination and early growth of Achillea millefoliumunder laboratory and pot conditions. Annals of Biological Research 3(8): 3978-3983.

Ismail, B.S. & Chong, T.V. 2009. Allelopathic effects of Dicranopteris linearisdebris on common weeds of Malaysia. Allelopathy Journal 23(2): 277-286.

Ismail, B.S. & Kumar, A. 1996. Effects of aqueous extracts and residues composition of Mikania micranthaH.B.K. on selected crops. Allelopathy Journal 3: 195-206.

Kadioglue, I., Yanar, Y. & Asav, U. 2005. Allelopathic effects of weed leachates against seed germination of some plants. Journal of Environmental Biology 26: 169-173.

Kumar, V., Brainard, D.C. & Bellinder, R.R. 2009. Suppression of Powell amaranth (Amaranthus powelli) by buckwheat residues, role of allelopathy. Weed Science 57: 66-73.

Mahmood, K., Malik, K.A., Sheikh, K.H., Hussain, A. & Lodhi, M.A.K. 1999. Allelopathic potential of weed species invading kalar grass (Leptopchloa fusca (L.) Kunth) in the saline agriculture land. Pakistan Journal of Botany 31: 137-149.

Meksawat, S. & Pornrom, T. 2010. Allelopathic effect of itchgrass (Rottboellia cochinchinensis) on seed germination and plant growth. Weed Biology and Management 10: 16-24.

Monica, S., Assunta, E., Brigida, D., Severina, P., Vittorio, F., Nikolaos, T., Pietro, M. & Antonio, F. 2012. Isolation, distribution and allelopathic effect of caffeic acid derivatives from Bellis perennisL.. Biochemical Systematics and Ecology 43: 108-113.

Muscolo, A., Panuccio, M.R. & Sidari, M. 2001. The effect of phenols on respiratory enzymes in seed germination. Plant Growth Regulation 35: 31-35.

Norhafizah, M.Z., Ismail, B.S. & Chuah, T.S. 2012. Herbical activity of P. purpureum(Napier grass). African Journal of Biotechnology 11(23): 6269-6273.

Qasem, J.R. 2011. Herbicides applications: Problems and considerations. In Herbicides and Environment, edited by Kortekamp, A.R. Croatia: InTech. pp. 654-657.

Rashid, M.H., Asaeda, T. & Uddin, M.N. 2010. Litter-mediated allelopathic effects of kudzu (Pueraria montana) on Bidens pilosaand Lolium perenneand its persistence in soil. Weed Biology and Management 10: 48-56.

Rice, E.L. 1984. Allelopathy. 2nd ed. Orlando: Academic Press.

Singh, H.P., Batish, D.R., Pandher, J.K. & Kohli, R.K. 2005. Phytotoxic effects of Parthenium hysterophorus residues on three Brassica species. Weed Biology and Management 5(3): 105-109.

Swain, T. & Hills, W.E. 1959. The phenolic constituents of Prunus domestica I. The quantitative analysis of constituents. Journal Science Food and Agriculture 10: 68-70.

Tantiado, R.G. & Saylo, M.C. 2012. Allelopathic potential of selected grasses (family Poaceae) on the germination of lettuce seeds (Lactuca sativa). International Journal of Bio-science and Bio-technology 4(2): 27-34.

Tanveer, A., Rehman, A., Javaid, M.M., Abbas, R.N., Sibtain, M., Ahmad, A.U.H., Ibin-Zamir, M.S., Chaudhary, K.M. & Aziz, A. 2010. Allelopathic potential of Euphorbia hilioscopiaL. against wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), chickpea (Cicer arietinumL.) and lentil (Lens culinaris Medic.). Turkish Journal Agriculture Forestry 34: 75-81.

Tesio, F., Vidotto, F. & Ferrero, A. 2012. Allelopathic persistence of Helianthus tuberosusL. residues in the soil. Scientia Horticulturae135: 98-105.

Whitehead, D.C., Dibb, H. & Hartley, R.D. 1981. Extractant pH and the release of phenolic compounds from soil, plant roots and leaf litter. Soil Biology Biochemistry 13: 343-348.

*Corresponding author; email: ismail@ukm.edu.my