Allelopathic effect of lemongrass and sabugueiro on Cuban jute germination.

摘要

The invasive species Cuban jute (Sida rhombifolia L.) is common in no-till areas. It is an important competitor of crops because of a quite effective root system. For this reason, Cuban jute control commonly is made on large-scale applications of chemicals. This study seeks to make a contribution to the control of Cuban jute via allelopathy using hot aqueous extracts of the medicinal species lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus Stapf.) and sabugueiro (Sambucus australis Cham & Schltdl.). The experiment was carried out in two complementary steps: first we attempted to overcome dormancy of the invasive species, and then we investigated the effect of the medicinal species lemongrass and sabugueiro on Cuban jute germination. The seeds were placed in Petri dishes previously autoclaved for 20 minutes at 121 degrees C and then taken to a germination chamber with a photoperiod of 12 hours at 25 degrees C. A potential allelopathic, inhibitory effect was identified on Cuban jute seed germination when the weed was exposed to the hot aqueous extract of both medicinal species.