Allelopathy is the release of plant substances that inhibit or act as stimulants in the environment, and may be present in the seeds of some species. The objective of this work was to evaluate the allelopatic activity of the extract of juazeiro (Ziziphus joazeiro Mart.) seeds on the germination of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) seeds. We utilized the randomized design with four replications and five treatments (0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% of concentration of the crude extract). The crude extract was obtained after the extraction of 50 g of seeds, shaking them with 500 mL of water in a blender. The results showed allelopatic effect, proportional to the increase of the concentration of the extract. The highest concentrations of seed extract of juazeiro affected the percentage and speed of germination and the lowest concentrations caused abnormal seedlings on lettuce seed germination. Therefore, the extract presented an allelopatic effect, unfavorable to the germination of lettuce seeds.
Ziziphus joazeiro; allelopathy; lettuce
