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TAGETES ERECTUS L. – A POTENTIAL RESOLUTION FOR MANAGEMENT OF PARTHENIUM HYSTEROPHORUS L.

SHAZIA SHAFIQUE^*, RUKHSANA BAJWA AND SOBIYA SHAFIQUE

Abstract: The present study provides an insight of use of Tagetes erectus as it contains herbicidal constituents for the management of Parthenium weed. Herbicidal effects of aqueous shoot, root, flower and soil extracts of allelopathic ornamental plant viz. T. erectus L., was evaluated against germination and growth of noxious alien weed Parthenium hysterophorus L. Aqueous extracts of 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10% (on fresh weight bases) obtained from aerial parts and rhizospheric soil of T. erectus inhibited germination and seedling growth of P. hysterophorus in bioassays conducted in Petri plates. In foliar spray bioassay, aqueous extracts of aerial plant parts of 10% w/v (on dry weight bases) concentrations were sprayed on one- and two-weeks old pot grown Parthenium seedlings. Two subsequent sprays were carried out at 5 days intervals each. These extracts on pot plants resulted in reduced shoot and root length and biomass. In residue incorporation bioassay, crushed shoots of T. erectus were incorporated in the soil at 1, 2, 3 and 4% w/w bases. Parthenium seeds were sown one week after residue incorporation and plants were harvested 40 days after sowing. Incorporation of 1–4% residues significantly reduced germination by 25-88%. Residues at all the concentrations significantly suppressed plant biomass by 90-97%.

Institute of Plant Pathology, University of the Punjab, Quaid-e-Azam Campus, Lahore, Pakistan

^*Corresponding author E-mail: shaziashafique@hotmail.com