Potentially allelopathic interference of Paspalum maritimum in cultivated pasture areas

The objective of this work was to determine whether the interference mediated by chemical substances is involved in the Paspalum maritimum mechanisms to invade and form pure stands in areas of cultivated pastures of the Amazon Region. The potential allelopathic effects of hydroalcoholic extracts of leaves and rhizomes from P. maritimum and the soil under this weed plant were analyzed for seed germination and radicle elongation of the weeds Mimosa pudica and Senna obtusifolia and the forage plants Pueraria phaseoloides and Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu. The extracts from the two fractions of the plant showed high potential to inhibit seed germination and radicle elongation of all the receiving plants. Seed germination of the two weeds were more intensely inhibited than that of the forage plants. Radicle elongation of M. pudica and P. phaseoloides were more intensely inhibited. The inhibition effects were positively associated to the concentration of the extract, with maximum inhibitions obtained at the 3.0% concentration, for all the extracts. The soil showed inhibition potential for seed germination and radicle elongation, compared to the inhibition level promoted by the extracts at concentrations between 0.5 and 1.5%. These results confirm the hypothesis that allelopathic interference is involved with the mechanisms of invasion and formation of pure stands of P. maritimum.

germination; inhibition; weeds; radicle; seeds