Allelopathic effects of Parthenium hysterophorus on the chlorophyll, nitrogen, protein and ascorbic acid content of Lantana camara

The allelopathic effects of different dilutions of aqueous extract of Parthenium hysterophorus were investigated on chlorophyll accumulation, foliar nitrogen, protein and ascorbic acid content in the leaves of Lantana camara. The spray of four aqueous extracts (1:5, 1:10, 1:20 and 1:40 w/v) of P. hysterophorus on 10 weeks old Lantana plants reduced all the test parameters. The aqueous extracts of Parthenium reduced the chlorophyll, nitrogen, protein and ascorbic acid contents in the leaves of Lantana. The chlorophyll content was drastically reduced (76.06%) in 1:5 dilution. This showed the allelopathic interactions of Parthenium on Lantana. The increase in concentration of the extract caused drastic reduction in the content of all the parameters, indicating a dose response relationship. Hence the allelochemicals of Parthenium may be possibly used as natural herbicide in future weed management programmes to eradicate Lantana Camara. It thus shows that Parthenium extracts possess Lantana weed suppressing ability and also possesses the species selectivity in its phytotoxicity. Hence it is worth exploiting as a natural herbicide for the management of spread of noxious weed Lantana.