Influence of Extracts from Euphorbia helioscopia L. and Oxalis corniculata L. on the Germination and Seedling Development of Triticum aestivum L.
Ghani Subhan
College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing-100049, China.
Lubna Shakir
Department of Botany, Government Post Graduate College, Timergara, Pakistan.
Sajla Habib
Department of Botany, Government Girls Degree College, Timergara-10000, Pakistan.
Urooj Hassan
Department of Botany, Government Girls Degree College, Timergara-10000, Pakistan.
Atia Begum
Department of Botany, Government Girls Degree College, Timergara-10000, Pakistan.
Sidra Rahman
Department of Botany, Government Girls Degree College, Timergara-10000, Pakistan.
Mohammad Sohail
Department of Botany, Garden Campus, Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan, 23200, Pakistan.
Falaknaz
Department of Botany, Garden Campus, Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan, 23200, Pakistan.
Wardah Hayat Khan
CAS Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China.
Rahid Khan
Center for Agriculture Resources and Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China.
Naveen Dilawar
Department of Botany, Women University Mardan, Mardan 23200, Pakistan.
Shakir Ullah *
State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops and Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Allelopathy refers to a biological phenomenon in which one plant releases biochemicals that influence the germination and growth of neighbouring plants. This study evaluated the allelopathic potential of two common weeds, Euphorbia helioscopia L. and Oxalis corniculata L., on the germination and early growth of Triticum aestivum L. The experiment was conducted under a completely randomised design (CRD) with three replications per treatment. Aqueous extracts were prepared from fresh shoots and roots at concentrations of 5%, 10%, and 15% (w/v), while dry plant material was mixed with sterile sand for mulching treatments. A distilled water control was included. Germination and growth parameters were recorded after 72 hours of incubation at 25 °C. Results indicated that aqueous extracts from both weeds significantly (p < 0.05) reduced wheat germination percentage, plumule and radicle length, and root number compared with the control. However, low concentrations (5%) and mixed shoot extracts exhibited mild stimulatory effects, increasing radicle length to 6.2 cm and plumule length to 9.0 cm, compared with 5.3 cm and 6.6 cm in the control, respectively. Mulching treatments consistently inhibited germination and seedling growth, except the mixed treatment, which slightly enhanced leaf area (2.1 cm² vs. 1.5 cm² in the control). These findings suggest that E. helioscopia and O. corniculata produce bioactive compounds that can suppress wheat germination and growth. Their strong allelopathic potential warrants further investigation for possible applications in natural weed and pest management.
Keywords: Allelopathy, Euphorbia helioscopia, Oxalis corniculata, Triticum aestivum, Germination percentage, Plumule length, Radical length, Root numbers, Leaf area