1South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650, China. E-mail: zhaohb04@mails.gucas.ac.cn, lsspsl@mail.sysu.edu.cn.
*Correspondence author
+Institute of Ecology and Evolution, State Key Lab of Biocontrol, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China.
Allelopathy is one of the main mechanisms for the successful invasion of Mikania micrantha H.B.K. As an alien, M. micrantha has not co-evolved with native plants, but it releases the allelochemicals that suppress their growth. On the other hand, native allelopathic species might also have allelopathic potential against the invasive plants. We evaluated the allelopathic potential of 6-native plants (Castanopsis chinensis Hance, Dicranopteris pedata (Houtt.) Nakaike, Heteropanax fragrans (Roxb.) Seem, Macaranga tanarius L., Paspalum conjugatum Berg.and Solanum nigrum L.) and one exotic plant (Bidens pilosa L.) on M. micrantha. We found that M. micrantha was sensitive to the allelopatic effects of native plants. The extracts of B. pilosa and D. pedata, strongly inhibited the seed germination and seedling growth of M. micrantha. Hence, allelochemicals of these plants need to be isolated for use as biological herbicides to control this weed.
Allelopathic, Bidens pilosa, biocontrol, Dicranopteris pedata, Heteropanax fragrans, hydroponic, invasive species, Mikania micrantha, Solanum nigrum
