Comparative impacts of soaked and crushed aqueous extracts of Lantana camara leaf and stem on germination and early seedling length of Oryza sativa

Experiments were performed in laboratory and glasshouse to determine the allelopathic effect of crushed and soaked leaf and stem aqueous extracts of Lantana camara L. on germination and early seedling growth of Oryza sativa. The aqueous extract of both soaked and crushed aboveground parts (leaf and stem) of L. camara with different concentrations (2.5%, 5%, 7.5% and 10%) were used and compared with control (distilled water). Seed germination, length, biomass, moisture content and seed vigor index of rice crop were documented in different treatments. Maximum suppression in germination and other parameters i.e., length and biomass were recorded in soaked leaf extract while, crushed leaf extract promoted the germination and growth at highest (10%) concentration. However, relative moisture content and seed vigor index exhibited more inhibitory effects in crushed leaf extract in comparison to soaked leaf treatment. Higher amount of allelochemicals released from the soaked leaf extracts of L. camara may be one of the reason in variations of allelopathic effect while the stimulatory effects of crushed leaf extract on measured plant traits may be possibly caused by increase in nutrient concentration in the soil. Contrasted with control (C0), the lower concentration depicted promotion in the studied plant traits while higher concentrations suppressed the germination and early seedling growth. Though laboratory analysis research in allelopathy is highly significant, a field study is suggested to confirm the allelopathic impacts of L. camara on cropland ecosystems in various field conditions. This will play role in understanding the underline causes and physiological processes involved in the different consequences of the leaf and stem allelochemicals on different crop species in agriculture.