Evaluation of allelopathic potential of Iranian wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars against weeds

Abstract

The 'equal-compartment-agar-method' was employed to evaluate four allelopathic activity wheat cultivars on whole plant, root and shoot length and plant dry weight of four weed species. Wheat cultivars were included Niknejad and Shiraz (more competitive cultivars); Tabasi and Roshan (less competitive cultivars). In this study used four weed species (Secale cereale L., Avena ludoviciana L.: monocotyledon, Convolvulus arvensis L. and Vicia villosa L.: dicotyledon). Results showed that the allelopathic activity of wheat was associated with number of wheat seedlings and wheat cultivars. Results demonstrated that the whole plant and root length of weed species were significantly reduced in the presence of wheat cultivars. The degree of weed growth inhibition was depended on the number of wheat seedlings. All of the cultivars and densities caused promotion of dicot shoot length. Results indicated that the length of whole plant (-30.22%) and root (-57.74%) of C. arvensis and shoot length (-13.24%) of S. cereale had the highest sensitivity. None of factors had significant effect on plant dry weight of weed species.