Does Soil under Natural Tithonia diversifolia Vegetation Inhibit Seed Germination of Weed Species?

Gabriel Olulakin Adesina

Department of Crop and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Nigeria.

DOI: 10.4236/ajps.2013.411268                

Abstract

Pot experiment was carried out in the screen house, Ladoke Akintola University Technology Ogbomosho, Nigeria to determine the possible impact of Tithonia diversifolia on the growth of thirteen selected weed species weeds growing in its surroundings. The study consisted of two treatments (Tithonia diversifolia infested and Non-Tithonia diversifolia infested soils) and from the two media, the growth of A. hispidium, B. pilosa E. heterophylla, P. maximum and P. polystachion was significantly affected in soil infested by T. diversifolia. The number of weed seedling emergence afore mentioned was significantly lower than what was obtained in soil not infested with T. diversifolia and this accounted for about 38% of the tested weed species. Germination of four of these weeds species (23%) (A. spinosus, C. viscosa, T. procumbens and D. gayana) was enhanced by the presence of T. diversifolia. The study further revealed that weed counts in T. diversifolia infested soil is significantly lower than the ones in soil without T. diversifolia infestation. Likewise, the vegetative growth of some species (A. spinosus, C. viscosa, T. procumbens and D. gayana) was improved in this soil. This shows that T. diversifolia infested soil contains allelochemicals that performed both stimulatory and inhibitory functions.

Keywords

Tithonia diversifolia; Allelopathy; Allelochemical; Asteraceae

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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