PJB-2020-494
Use of osmotic pressure in allelopathic trials
Saira Qadir, Iram Us Salam, Afsheen Khan, Alia Abbas and Ijaz Ahmed Qureshi
Abstract
This paper explains the relative suppression of crop growth as a consequence of either allelopathic expression or osmotic stress, finding the main factor of inhibition. For this study, five crops are tested namely Zea mays L. (Maize), Hordeum vulgare L. (Barley), Cicer arietinum L. (Chickpea), Pisum sativum L. (Pea) and Phaseolus vulgaris L. (French beans), using three weeds for allelopathic test i.e., Portulaca oleracea L. Euphorbia hirta L. and Amaranthus viridis L. PEG (Polyethylene glycerol) 6000 is used for seed priming against weeds to maintain osmotic balance between two types of trials. The rate of inhibition appeared too close at these predefined early stages though, but the weed stress has poorly (p<0.1) dominated over osmoticum. Seed germination has no significant difference among samples while seedling vigor index (SVI%) has the priority in the seeds treated with PEG corresponded with P.oleracea at 31%. Similarly, chlorophyll content at seedling stage shows highest synthesis in the same samples i.e., 42 μg/mg/ml. Contrarily, the lowest SVI% was estimated as 38% from A. viridis samples and the lowest synthesized chlorophyll is recorded i.e., 38 μg/mg/ml from the same samples. Among tested weeds, A. viridis has produced strong inhibition while P. oleracea appeared as less inhibitory or relatively influential than PEG extracts. This shows negligible or no inhibitory effects of P. oleracea and E. hirta while A. viridis has greater influence on crops that can be severe than osmotic stress at higher concentrations. It can be assumed that weeds that have not inhibited crop growth might have productive effects on crops in future rather than A. viridis might be inhibitory for the crops at later stages only at higher concentration
To Cite this article:
Qadir, S., I.U. Salam, A. Khan, A. Abbas and I.A. Qureshi. 2022. Use of osmotic pressure in allelopathic trials. Pak. J. Bot., 54(1): DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.30848/PJB2022-2(16)
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