1College of Plant Protection, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an-271018, Shandong Province, China.
2Central Laboratory, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Ji'nan-250100, Shandong Province, China.
*Correspondence Author; E. Mail: wangjx@sdau.edu.cn
We studied the allelopathic effects of volatiles from Parthenium hysterophorus L. on the seedling growth of Echinochloa crusgalli (L.) Beauv. and Digitaria sanguinalis L. under laboratory and field conditions. The chemical components of volatiles were analysed using headspace method and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The seedling growth of E. crusgalli and D. sanguinalis intercropped with P. hysterophorus in the field was significantly inhibited. Fresh P. hysterophorus flower enclosed in a transparent box inhibited the seedling growth of E. crusgalli and D. sanguinalis. The enclosed fresh leaves of P. hysterophorus inhibited the seedling growth of D. sanguinalis. The volatiles from P. hysterophorus flowers contained 17 components. The main component in volatiles was myrcene (56.67%) and the second component was ocimene (26.28%). There were 18 components in the volatiles from P. hysterophorus leaves. The main component in fresh leaf was myrcene (28.07%), the second was β-pinene (14.52%). The volatiles contained high content of terpenoids, indicating that P. hysterophorus released its allelochemicals through volatilization. The allelopathy of volatiles may play an important role in enhancing the invasiveness of P. hysterophorus and may suppress other plant species in vicinity.
Allelopathy, Digitaria sanguinalis L, E. chinochloa crusgalli (L.), flower, GC-MS, leaf, Parthenium hysterophorus L, volatiles
