TITLE:
Identification and Quantification of Allelochemicals from Selected Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.) Cultivars
AUTHORS:
Bhawna Soni, Te-Ming Paul Tseng, Ziming Yue
KEYWORDS:
Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.), Allelochemicals, High Performance Liquid Chromatography, Seedling Growth, Retention Time
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Plant Sciences,
Vol.10 No.12,
December
31,
2019
ABSTRACT: Allelopathic compounds have the potential to inhibit
the growth and development of other organisms in a diverse manner ranging from
shifting nutrients and enhancing their growth to inflicting diseases. In
addition, these compounds influence seedling growth and seed germination of
various crops. The goal of this study was to identify and quantify different
allelochemicals in various sweet potato cultivars through high-performance
liquid chromatography techniques. Selected sweet potato slips (weight: 2.0 - 2.5 grams/slip) were propagated in separate glass
tubes filled with 10.0 mL distilled water. Water extract from each glass tube
was collected after 2, 4, and 6 weeks after transplanting (WAP) to identify and
quantify allelochemical compounds by comparing their peaks with the retention
time of standards. Results show that the concentration of allelochemicals in
water extract was increased from 2 to 4 WAP but remained constant in the sixth
week. Quantitative analysis revealed that the amount of chlorogenic acid was
higher in all sweet potato cultivars compared to other allelochemicals. Some
sweet potato cultivars, A5 and A39, exhibited higher allelopathy (18.28 - 19.37 ppm/slip) and reduced the height and biomass
of Palmer amaranth the most due to
the presence of increased concentration of combined allelochemicals, while other cultivars
produced lesser allelochemicals (10.90 ppm/slip) and did not reduce the growth
of the weed species. Allelopathic sweet potato cultivars high in chlorogenic
acid production can effectively suppress Palmer
amaranth with minimal dependence on chemicals to manage weeds and harmful
pests under sustainable agricultural
system.