EFFICACY OF SOME SELECTED MEDICINAL PLANTS FOR THEIR POSSIBLE ALLELOPATHIC ACTIVITY ON BARNYARD GRASS AND OKRA

Abstract

VlcdlclOal plant-, have been known as candidates of allclopmhic potcnual to their ability to cvlubu nllclochermcals .\n cxpcnmcnt wa-, conducted 10 evaluate the effect (If ullelopathic acnvhics of five medicinal plants. i.c .. asparaguv ( "I'(mlgll~ I"tlCC/IIfI.\'1.\wiid.). lcbbeck t Alhizia Iebbeck), dcvil's couon (.Ihmma tll/gll.\/tI). ~arlct gourd «('",dllell cortl/li,lw). and spreading hogwced (Boerhavia (/rill/It! 111111) on the root and ~h.)()t growth of okra and barnyard grass. Hvc concentrations of each medicinal pl.lIlt cvrracr viz, 1: (control: no extrncr), r, (0,0 I mg dry WI. cq, cxtract/ml.), T: (0.03 mg df') \\ t. C4. cvtracuml.). T, (0.1 mg dry 111. eq. extract/rnl.) and T. (0.3 mg dry WI. eq. extractrnl.) were used for the mrerfcrcncc rest. TI,,: experiment was laid out in a completely rnndcmizcd design (eRO) with three replications. Results indicated that all concentrations of plant extract showed an inhibitory effect on okra and barnyard gras- Among the concentrations of plant extract. T. (0.) 1Ilg. dry \\1, cq. extract} mL) showed the highest intcrrupuve effect on both okra and barnyard grass, In terms of root length of okra. spreading hogweed and scarlet gourd extract at T. (0.3 mg dry WI. eq. extract! mt.) showed the highest allclopathic effect and gave the 101\1,·,1 root length (0.533 mm). The spreading of hogwecd extract at T" (0.3 mg dry \~1, eq. extract mL) conccnmuion on barnyard grass seeds showed the highest allelopthic effect for the shoot and root length (i.e .. 1.9 mm and 0.93 nun. respectively). The interference results above ,ugg~t Ih31 Coccinea cordifolia and Bocrhuvia diffl/se L. might haw allelopathic potential due to some nativ C allclochcmicals, Therefore. ('OCciIlCU cordifolio and Boerhuvio di!li'.\1! L. could be used as mulch or soil additives to suppress weeds fur sustainable crop production.