Inhibitory effects of weeds on growth of wheat seedlings

A pot culture experiment was done to assess the effects of aqueous leaf leachates (0, 10 and 20% concentrations) of Amaranthus viridis, Parthenium hysterophorus and Polygonum plebeium on seedling growth of wheat (Triticum aestevum L.) var. HUW 234. The root length, shoot length, leaf area, number of spikelets, seed weight, root biomass and shoot biomass were recorded at 30, 60 and 90 DAT (days after treatment). The leaf leachates of all test weed species significantly reduced the growth of wheat. All the test parameters (viz., root length, shoot length, total plant length, leaf area, root biomass, shoot biomass, total biomass, spikelet number and seed weight) were significantly inhibited by weed leaf leachates and the effects were concentration dependant.