ALLELOPATHIC POTENTIAL OF RED SPRANGLETOP (Leptochloa chinensis L.) AGAINST GERMINATION AND SEEDLING GROWTH OF RICE (Oryza sativa L.)

ABSTRACT Red sprangletop (Leptochloa chinensis L.) is a problematic weed of aerobic rice (Oryza sativa L.) that greatly reduces in yield. The laboratory studies were undertaken to confirm allelopathic potential of its plant leachates and soil-decomposition plant residues towards emergence and seedling growth of rice. In first experiment, aqueous extracts from various plant parts of red sprangletop (stem, root, leaves, flower and entire plant) at their 5% (w/v) concentration were applied to germinating rice seeds. In second experiment, soil-decomposed red sprangletop plant residues of variable concentrations (2, 4 and 6% w/w) were used as germination media for rice. Among plant parts, red sprangletop leaves showed maximum allelopathic effect by fully inhibiting the germination of rice while its stem could be positioned at second situation as it caused 60, 73, 84, 13 and 86% reductions in germination percentage, germination index, seedling length and seedling dry biomass of rice as compared with control, respectively. This treatment also resulted in maximum delays in mean germination time (up to 4.80 days with SE= 0.408) and days taken to 50% germination (up to 4.40 days with SE=0.431) of rice. The highest concentrated (6%) soil-decomposed plant residue of red sprangletop significantly reduced the germination percentage, germination index, seedling length and seedling vigor index by 35.13, 23.26 and 41.61% compared to control. It very well may be presumed that liquid concentrates of leave and stem soil-decomposed plant residues of 6% concentration had different kind of allelochemicals that inhibited the germination, seedling growth and development of rice.