Inhibitory allelopathic effects of weed leaf leachates on seed germination of pea (Pisum sativum L.).

Seeds of pea (Pisum sativum) cultivars, Arpan and Malviya 2-Sapana, were treated with different concentrations of aqueous leaf leachates of 8 dominant weeds (Ageratum conyzoides, Anagallis arvensis, Eclipta alba, Lippia nodiflora, Parthenium hyterophorus [Parthenium hysterophorus], Phyllanthus niruri, Pluchea lanceolata and Polygonum plebejum [Polygonum plebeium]) to assess their allelopathic effects on seed germination. Fifity seeds of each cultivar were placed equidistantly in 10 cm dia. petri plates fitted with 2 layers of filter paper. Approximately 15 ml of 10, 20, 30 and 40% leachate from each weed species were poured into the specified petri plate. Leachates of all the weed species inhibited both seed germination and seedling growth of both test cultivars at 10% concentration. Increase in leachate concentration was invariably associated with further decrease in germination performance of each test cultivar irrespective of weed species.