Department of Pharmacology, Ningxia Research Centre, Modern Hui Medicine, Engineering and Technology, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan City, 750004, China.
*Correspondence Author; Department of Agronomy, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou City, 730070, China, E. Mail: zhangxh801011@yahoo.com; zhangxh1011@eyou.com.
Laboratory and pot experiments were done to determine the autotoxicity potential of aqueous extracts (rhizomes, shoots, soil extracts) and rhizome exudates of Angelica sinensis on its own seed germination and seedling growth. In laboratory experiments, aqueous extracts (rhizomes, shoots, soil extracts) and rhizome exudates inhibited its own seed germination and seedling growth and this inhibitory effect increased with increase in aqueous extracts concentrations. The extracts from A. sinensis rhizomes were less inhibitory than those from shoots. The extracts of rhizome and shoot collected at the rhizome thickening stage were more inhibitory than those collected at seedling stage. The radicle growth was more sensitive to extract than shoot growth and seed germination. These results showed that A. sinensis had autotoxicity potential.
The pot experiments showed that plant parts and sterilized soil (previously cropped with A. sinensis) inhibited the seedling growth at 1.5% concentrations (g plant material/g soil), and confirmed the autotoxicity potential of A. sinensis. Thus autotoxicity is the main problem in continuous cropping of A. sinensis.
Angelica sinensis, autotoxicity, aqueous extracts, rhizome exudates, seed germination, seedling growth
