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PARTHENIUM HYSTEROPHORUS L. A POTENTIAL SOURCE OF BIOHERBICIDE

KHAN BAHADAR MARWAT¹, MUHAMMAD AZIM KHAN², ANWAR NAWAZ¹ AND ANEES AMIN¹

Abstract: Parthenium hysterophorus L., being a declared invasive weed is threatening the biodiversity and human health in several areas of Pakistan. Several researchers have documented the alleloapthic effect of this weed. In the present studies the allelopathic potential was studied in laboratory and in field conditions with the objectives to explore the potential of P. hysterophorus as bioherbicide in future.  Laboratory based experiment showed that with the increasing concentration of P. hysterophorus, the germination percentage, seedling length and seedling weight of all the three species tested were significantly decreased. The tolerance order of the species against the extract concentration of P. hysterophorus were Triticum aestivum > Avena fatua > Lepidium sp. While field experiment showed that there was no effect of any concentration either pre or post-emergence on weed density 25 days after sowing, fresh biomass and dry biomass. However different concentration had significant effect on the weed density 50 DAS in post-emergence as well as pre-emergence. This might be due to delayed germination of weeds due to allelochemicals. Hence the present study suggest that P. hysterophorus can be used as a bioherbicide but still needs extensive study to fully explore its potential against different summer and winter weeds.

¹Department of Weed Science, NWFP Agricultural University, Peshawar-25130, Pakistan

2Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge Research Center, Alberta, Canada.