ALLELOPATHIC POTENTIAL OF ECHINOCHLOA CRUS-GALLI (L.)P. BEAUV. EXTRACTS ON GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENTAL CHANGES OF ABELMOSCHUS ESCULENTU S (L.) AND SOLANUM LYCOPERSICUM (L.)

Abstract

The study was designed to evaluate the growth and developmental changes of bhendi (Abelmoschus esculentus L. - cv. CO-1) and tomato (Solanum  lycopersicum L.- cv. PKM-1) seedlings by using  different concentrations of  (2g/l, 5g/l, 10g/l, 15g/l and 25g/l) aqueous Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) extracts under pot culture experiments. Barnyard grass extracts showed an inhibitory and stimulatory effects on germination, seedling length, biomass, pigments and biochemical constituents of bhendi and tomato.  The 2g/l concentration of extract stimulated the seed germination, seedling growth, biomass and biochemical constituents of bhendi and tomato. The  higher concentrations (15g/l and 25g/l) showed  an  inhibitory  effects in all the parameters studied in the two economically important vegetable crops. The degree of retardation was dependent on the concentration gradient  of the barnyard grass  extracts. Root length, Shoot length, Biomass and  Biochemical constituents of tomato seedlings were highly  reduced  at 25g/l concentrations of aqueous leaf  extracts of barnyard grass. Between bhendi and tomato seedlings, more allelopathic influence was observed in tomato than bhendi seedlings.