TITLE:
Does Soil under Natural Tithonia diversifolia Vegetation Inhibit Seed Germination of Weed Species?
AUTHORS:
Gabriel Olulakin Adesina
KEYWORDS:
Tithonia diversifolia; Allelopathy; Allelochemical; Asteraceae
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Plant Sciences,
Vol.4 No.11,
November
14,
2013
ABSTRACT: Pot experiment
was carried out in the screen house, Ladoke Akintola University Technology
Ogbomosho, Nigeria to determine the possible impact of Tithonia diversifolia on the growth of thirteen selected weed species weeds growing in its
surroundings. The study consisted of two treatments (Tithonia diversifolia infested and Non-Tithonia diversifolia infested soils) and from the two media, the growth of A. hispidium, B. pilosa E. heterophylla, P. maximum and P. polystachion was significantly affected in
soil infested by T. diversifolia. The
number of weed seedling emergence afore mentioned was significantly lower than what was
obtained in soil not infested with T.
diversifolia and this accounted for about 38% of the tested weed species. Germination of four of these weeds species (23%) (A. spinosus, C. viscosa, T. procumbens and D. gayana) was enhanced by the presence of T. diversifolia. The study further revealed that weed counts in T. diversifolia infested soil is significantly lower than the
ones in soil without T. diversifolia infestation.
Likewise, the vegetative growth of some species (A. spinosus, C. viscosa, T. procumbens and D. gayana) was improved in this soil. This shows that T. diversifolia infested soil contains allelochemicals that
performed both stimulatory and inhibitory functions.