1G. B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development, Garhwal, Srinagar, Post Box 92, Uttarakhand, 246174, India.
2Department of Agronomy, Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, 125004, India.
*Correspondence author: E. Mail: rawat_lakhpat@rediffmail.com
Investigations were done to determine the effects of sunflower rhizosphere soil (SRS) in pot culture and of sunflower green manuring (SGM) in field studies at 75, 90,105 and 120 days after sowing (DAS) on the germination and growth of Parthenium hysterophorus weed. Two cover crops greengram [(GG) (Vigna radiata)] and Pearl millet [(PM) (Pennisetum glaucum)] were used. Field experiments revealed that all growth and yield attributes of P. hysterophorus were inhibited maximum at 75 DAS old SGM and in SGM + PM. The inhibitory effects of sunflower decreased at later stages. Likewise in Pot experiments, SRS at 75 DAS proved most inhibitory to growth and yield attributes of P. hysterophorus than at later stages. Allelochemicals were identified in sunflower crop by paper chromatography and spectroscopic analysis. These results suggested that sunflower green manuring and its rhizosphere soil has herbicidal potential and may be used for biological control of weeds for sustainable agriculture and to safeguard the environment.
Allelochemicals, germination, greengram, Green manuring, growth, Helianthus annuus, P. hysterophorus, rhizosphere soil
